REMEMBERING MENAKA THAKKAR
Dance Ontario remembers and honours Menaka Thakkar, an iconic artist who contributed to and shaped dance in Ontario through her work as a teacher, mentor, choreographer and performer. Menaka’s life was devoted to dance. Born in Bombay, she trained in the Indian classical dance styles of Bharatanatyam, Odissi and Kuchipudi. After moving to Toronto in 1972, she started the Nrtyakala Academy of Dance. Its graduates formed the core of the professional Menaka Thakkar Dance Company. Performing across Canada, Menaka helped introduce classical Indian dance to the Canadian arts world. She choreographed a large number of original works, many of which fused Indian and Western styles of dance. Her accomplishments were recognized by many honours, including a DLitt from York University, the Canada Council’s Walter Carsen Prize, and the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award. The Menaka Thakkar Dance Company has been a member of Dance Ontario for 28 years and has contributed greatly to our community.
“The Canadian dance community is mourning the loss of this beloved artist, pioneer, visionary and agent of change. In the early 1980s, I saw an advertisement on a telephone pole for a mainstream theatre dance performance that made me stop in my tracks. My artistic direction took a huge turn in that moment when I saw Menaka’s photo. Up until then I only knew my dance form (Raqs Sharqi, aka Bellydance) presented in nightclubs and it was Ballet or Modern dance that was performed in the theatre. My imagination went wild with the dream of culture-specific dance represented on Canadian theatre stages and with schools dedicated to a singular form of culture-specific dance. Thank you Menaka for your inspiration, changing the course of my career and changing the face of dance for all of Canada” – Yasmina Ramzy, Dance Ontario Board Member
“Still deeply saddened.. Still vividly fresh in my mind when I first met Menaka at York University in 1998. I was taking a Summer course in Indian dance class from her. She immediately asked me to join her company. From then on, I got to meet her beautiful company dancers, students and community. She was an important icon for building multiculturalism in the Canadian dance milieu. With much respect… she has built a strong foundation for future generations and recognition. I am forever grateful for her contributions.” – Emily Cheung, Dance Ontario Board Member…