Malaysia’s longest-running dance school celebrates 60 years

Since 1966, the Tanjai Kamalaa Indira Dance School (TKI) led by Indira Manikam has been a premier training center for the traditional Thanjavur style of Bharatanatyam in Malaysia. At 75, Indira still teaches and choreographs just as she did when she began at the age of 14. This year, the school marks its 60th anniversary with a special production titled "Krishnayaanam - The Divine Journey of Lord Krishna," which will be held on August 22 at the HGH Convention Centre in Sentul.

The show features 75 dancers aged between six and 75, representing multiple generations of TKI students, who will collectively recount the life story of Lord Krishna. What sets this production apart is its comprehensive scope, tracing Krishna's journey from birth to his final moments, rather than focusing on a single episode or battle. Indira emphasizes that this production highlights the dance style's emphasis on expression, storytelling, and devotion, as opposed to the more rigid steps of other styles.

Born in Kuala Lumpur, Indira and her sister studied the Bharatanatyam dance form in Thanjavur, India, completing their formal training and arangetram in 1965. Upon returning to Malaysia, they established TKI, with Indira serving as a young instructor and co-founder. Her school has trained over 1,000 students and staged more than 30 large-scale dance dramas, including productions such as "Sivagamayin Sabatham" and "Kannagi."

Indira's dedication to Bharatanatyam has garnered numerous accolades, including recognition by the Malaysia Book of Records in 2016 as the longest-running dance school in the country. In 2023, she received the Anugerah Tokoh Seni Budaya Negeri Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur for her significant contributions to the arts. As TKI celebrates its diamond jubilee, "Krishnayaanam" serves as a tribute to its rich history and a continuation of the Bharatanatyam tradition that Indira has nurtured throughout her six decades of teaching.