Breaking Tradition: 11-Year-Old Boy Joins Bharatanatyam Course at Kerala Kalamandalam

Thrissur: In a significant departure from tradition, an 11-year-old boy has been admitted to the Bharatanatyam course at Kerala Kalamandalam Deemed University. This marks the first time in Kalamandalam’s history that a boy has gained admission to a Bharatanatyam course.

Daniel Eldho (11), who resides in Perth, Australia, has joined the six-month Bharatanatyam course at the prestigious institution. Daniel’s passion for Bharatanatyam is what brought the young enthusiast to Kalamandalam.

Originally from Piravom in Ernakulam district, Daniel had previously trained in Bharatanatyam for a performance in Australia, which garnered excellent reviews from the audience. He is currently being taught the basic lessons of Bharatanatyam by RLV Ramakrishnan, a renowned Mohiniyattam dancer who recently joined Kerala Kalamandalam as a teacher.

“Kalamandalam is in the process of establishing a dedicated Bharatanatyam department. There are existing short-term courses that allow everyone, regardless of age, to learn various art forms. However, while pursuing such courses, students cannot include ‘Kalamandalam’ with their name in the same way as those in longer programs,” Ramakrishnan explained.

A fundamental shift occurred at Kalamandalam last year (2024), when the institution began admitting students of all genders to all its courses. This ended the previous gender distinctions that were in place for major courses like Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, and Bharatanatyam. Even the appointment of RLV Ramakrishnan as an Assistant Professor was a groundbreaking step, as traditionally, only women served as gurus for dance forms like Bharatanatyam and Mohiniyattam, except during Kalamandalam’s very early years.

“Daniel has just completed his sixth-grade studies and will now join high school here. He shows a special interest in the arts, and we wanted to encourage that. Daniel has already completed Level 4 in Kerala’s traditional dance-drama form. We are delighted to foster his greater interest in Kerala’s traditional art forms and culture,” said Eldho, Daniel’s father.

Daniel will be staying for six months to pursue his Bharatanatyam studies. While many individuals have undertaken short-term courses at Kalamandalam, this is notably the first time an 11-year-old boy has enrolled in such a program.

Kalamandalam Registrar Rajesh Kumar told The New Indian Express, “By providing opportunities for everyone to learn all courses at Kalamandalam, the aim is to create a situation where people from across the world can utilize the institution’s potential to learn art. For those abroad, it might not be practical to stay here for ten years to learn an art form. Short-term courses are receiving excellent responses and are also beneficial for the institution.” He also clarified that while UG and PG courses are open to all, no boys have yet applied for courses like Mohiniyattam, but girls are now studying Kathakali, which was previously exclusive to boys.