User:Shrebhat/Keremane Shivananda Hegde

Sri Keremane Shivananda Hegde is the present director of Yakshagana Troupe “Shri Idagunji Mahaganapati Yakshagana Mandali, Keremane” that was established in year 1934. He is also running a Yakshagana Training Center “SRIMAYA” at Gunavante, a remote village in Honnavar Taluk of Karnataka.

Sri Keremane Shivananda Hegde has Yakshagana in his blood from his ancestors. After completing academic BA, he followed the path of his father, Late Sri Keremane Shambhu Hegde and completed diploma in Choreography. Beside that he learnt many folk dances of India under the guidance of Smt Maya Rao. He was introduced to Yakshagana as early as in his age 12. The constant guidance of his highly impressive grand father and father molded his elegant career in the field “Yakshagana”.

Apart from performing at various places of India, and abroad, he exposed himself to modern theatre also. He toured all over India with the troupe of Natya Institute of Kathak and Choreography Bangalore,  Natya  Ballet Centre and Indian Revival Group, New Delhi. Also, he acted in tele-serials and directed many dramas.

He visited many countries like USA, England, SriLanka, France, Spain, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippine, Laos, and Myanmar to give performances. He toured extensively in UK along with Chitralekha & Co. Burming Ham as a Choreographer and performer. His choreography of farce drama in Sanskrit Shringara Narathiyam and contemporary ballets Pragathi Vigathi presented in many places and appreciated by art lovers. He was invited by the Art and Culture Department of (Studio 7), Bijeshowry, Kathmandu, Nepal for demonstration and to perform "Yakshagana Dance "in the Naga Theatre of Hotel Vajra in 2002. He choreographed and directed the episode 'Mahabharata' (adapted episodes) in Studio 7. His activity in various modern workshops is worth mentioning. He participated in APPEX Workshop organized by the University of California, Los Angeles, USA.

He received Govt. of India scholarship of Young workers in different cultural fields (Yakshagana) in 1990 - 93. And in the year 2002,he received junior fellowship from Government of India for higher studies of traditional Yakshagana (A practical study of Uttara Kannada Style of Yakshagana with special emphasis on Nritya and Abhinaya). He was a member of Karnataka Janapada and Yakshagana Academi, Bangalore. He finds his spare time in the movement of Environmental protection, photography and documentation of traditional Arts.