Narthaki Nataraj to get honorary doctorate

CHENNAI: Transgender dancer and scholar Narthaki Nataraj will be awarded the doctor of letters (honoris causa) by Periyar Maniammai University on October 14 at its 24th convocation ceremony.
Narthaki became a symbol of transgender empowerment after she fought severe discrimination and social taboo to start training under veteran dancer K P Kittappa Pillai.
Later she propagated his Tanjore Quartet heritage of Bharatanatyam.Narthaki is known for her research and performances based on Sangam literature, Thevaram, Thiruvasagam, Thirupugazh, Nalayaira Dhivya prabhandam and Azhwar Pasurams. She founded the Velliyambalam School of Dance, where she teaches students from India and abroad, along with her friend Sakthi Bhaskar.
“As a teenager with intense self-confidence issues, it always pained me that I couldn't go to college after finishing school. Back in the 1980s and 90s, discrimination against alternative sexuality was rampant in educational institutions. This doctorate is particularly special because it's also an academic degree,“ she says.
Narthaki, who hails from an agricultural family in Madurai, left home at a young age owing to the intolerance she faced from her environment.
Under Kittappa Pillai she trained for 15 years and learnt several rare works from the original Tanjore repertoire of Bharatanatyam.
“Even today, I practise this tradition the way it was passed on to me. I strongly feel I must pass it on to future generations. They must know the wealth of exemplary Tamil literature available to them. Till date, the 11 types of classical dances that Madhavi performs in Silappathikaram inspire me immensely,“ says Narthaki.
The honorary doctorate is the latest milestone for the artiste, who has already been conferred with the Nritha Choodamani award from Krishna Gana Sabha, the Kalaimamani award from the Tamil Nadu government and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar among other honours.