Shri Keremane Shivananda Hegde
(Director, Guru, Choreographer and Performer)
Shri Keremane Shivananda Hegde is the present director of this Yakshagana Troupe. He is also running a Yakshagana Training Center - “Srimaya Kalakendra” at Gunavante, a remote village in Honnavar Taluk of Karnataka.
Shri Hegde has Yakshagana in his blood from his ancestors. He was introduced to Yakshagana when he was merely 12 years old. After completing academic BA, he followed the path of his father, Late Shri Keremane Shambhu Hegde and completed Diploma in Choreography under the tutelage of great Guru Dr. Maya Rao. Besides that he learnt Kathak and many folk dances of India. Chhau Dance of Seraikala, Manipuri Marital Dances and American Modern Dance are some of them. The constant guidance of his highly impressive grand father and father and Guru Dr. Maya Rao, molded his elegant career in the field of “Yakshagana”. He has conducted many Yakshagana workshops and lec-demos in various art centers in India and abroad. He has trained many students in Yakshagana and also the students deputed by SPIC-MACAY.
Apart from performing Yakshagana at various places in India and abroad, he has exposed himself to modern theater also. He toured all over India with the troupe Natya Institute of Kathak and Choreography, Bangalore, Natya Ballet Center and Indian Revival Group, New Delhi. Also, he has acted in many tele-serials and has directed a number of dance dramas. He is highly versatile in performing both male and female roles in Yakshagana episodes.
Hegde has now launched several innovative projects to overcome the limitations in Yakshagana field. Among his dreams, the ‘Atave Pata’ has become a unique movement. It is trying to reach out to the upcoming generation in their early school life. The reaction of the students is totally enchanting with the positive gestures of teachers, parents, and public.
Hegde’s Yakshagana training school is running well. Mean while another ambitious project “BHASAM” (Study and Research of Bhagavatike - traditional singing style of Yakshagana and implementation of the outcome in performances) project is noticed and highly praised by the veteran Yakshagana artists and art critics. The three year project is started for the benefit of the traditional style of Yakshagana music. He conducts ‘Keremane Shambhu Hegde National Dance Festival’ - a 5 days cultural festival from the last three years and it has become a great cultural event of Karnataka State. He has visited USA, England, Sri Lanka, France, Spain, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippine, Laos, and Myanmar to give Yakshagana, Kathak and other performances. He led his troupe to Indonesia to perform in the “Festival of India in Indonesia” in November 2009.
Being one of the leading artists of Yakshagan and also director of the troupe, he has proved himself as an exemplary actor as well as an organizer with clear vision and mission.
He finds his spare time in the movement of Environmental protection, photography and documentation of traditional Arts.