Bharatanatyam has been fortunate to find artists who have always carried the flag high. India has a vibrant dance history in terms of traditional dance forms. After India attained independence from the British in 1947, Bharatanatyam grew rapidly. Though the British tried to eradicate Bharatanatyam traditions, they unexpectedly spread religious ideas. Learn Bharatnatyam in the best institutions to master the interesting Indian dance form. Let us look at various famous Bharatanatyam dancers in this blog.
Reason for Bharatanatyam Dance Form to Excel
Bharatanatyam is thriving in ways, unlike any other classical dance. And the credit must go to its dedicated practitioners. The dance style is growing in strength, blossoming in varying genres and schools of thought, such as Pandanallur, Thanjavur, Mysore, and Kalakshetra variants.
Bharatanatyam is prospering mainly due to the institutional assistance it has had for a long time. The dance style found early patrons and visionaries from the Madras Music Academy to Rukminidevi Arundale’s Kalakshetra.
When the anti-nautch activity was at its peak, the Music Academy was exclusively responsible for promoting Bharatanatyam, then known as Sadir. They invited traditional community dancers to perform in open spaces under their badges and educated audiences in order to raise awareness.
Rukminidevi envisaged an institution that would provide comprehensive art education with a focus on Bharatanatyam. Even if Kalakshetra has produced only a few influential performing artists in so many years, they have undoubtedly influenced a large number of art lovers to appreciate dance.
Bharatanatyam as a dance style has grown in popularity and professional practitioners over the years. This generation’s megastars are international names such as Rama Vaidyanathan and Narthaki Nataraj. They have spread awareness of the dance form all over the world.
Top Five Bharatanatyam Dancers of All Times
Padma Subrahmanyam
Padma Subrahmanyam, the legendary teacher, runs “Nrutyodaya,” a school for dance. She is a well-known and recognized classical dancer in India. She gave her first performance when she was 13, and after that, she started researching Karana sculptures. Her thesis on ‘Karanas in Indian Sculpture’ earned her a Ph.D. as well.
Rukmini Devi
Rukmini Devi, born into a top family in India, began dancing very young. Dr.George Arundale and Rukmini Devi were given a chance to share their understanding of Indian culture and values in a foreign country. She is regarded as a steadfast supporter and a pioneer in bringing back Bharatanatyam after its restriction during British rule.
Yamini Krishnamurthy
Yamini Krishnamurthy was determined to dance and relocated to and got enrolled in the best Bharatanatyam dance academy in Chennai when she was five years old to pursue her dream. She enrolled in Rukmini Devi’s legendary dance school, Kalashestra. Her first performance propelled her to stardom instantly; therefore, by 1960, she had travelled around various parts of the world, displaying her talents.
Alarmel Valli
At the age of 16, Alarmel Valli was asked to perform at the International Dance Festival in Paris at the Sarah Bernhardt Theatre De La Ville. She is known for mastering the art of transforming grammar into poetry through her graceful dance moves.
Mallika Sarabhai
Mallika Sarabhai, a renowned dancer, social activist, anchor, filmmaker, editor, and IIM alumnus, is acknowledged for being a strong woman with boundless energy. She is a beauty with brains with masters in both Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam.
Trending Best Bharatanatyam Dancers in Today's
Only because of these artists does Bharatanatyam gets acknowledged with many other dance forms today. Bharatanatyam is brimming with talent; the same cannot be said for other classical dances. However, no other style is prospering as much as Bharatanatyam classes in Pattalam.
The dance style has found enthusiastic practitioners through numerous students and hundreds of Gurus in Chennai and other places. Every year, more Bharatanatyam dancers come into existence in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi, and even outside of India than in any other form.
Meenakshi Srinivasan is one of the most promising candidates in recent times. She completed her Arangetram under the tutelage of Guru Alarmel Valli and went on to further her studies with Singapore-based Girish Kumar. She is now recognized as one of the best soloists amongst the younger generation of dancers.
Mythili Prakash was trained by her mother, Viji Prakash and now works with Malavika Sarukkai. Lakshmi Parthasarathy Athrey and Uma Namboodripad Satyanarayana are two of Guru Chitra Visweswaran’s students.
Bengaluru-based Praveen Kumar, who trained with Guru Narmada, is currently under the tutelage of the great mid-80s Guru Padma Bhushan C V Chandrasekhar. He is awarded the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskaar by the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi.
We have Vaibhav Arekar, a Marathi lad from Mumbai, among the few male performers. He has worked hard to get accustomed to Marathi Abhangs, the music of Maharashtra’s poets and saints, to Bharatanatyam after learning the language, the dance form, and the intricacies of rendering it.
Wrap Up
Eight traditional dance forms in India have been officially recognized, and Bharatanatyam is among the popular classical dance styles. None of the other dance forms can boast of having so many achieving stars. These Bharatanatyam dancers mentioned above have successfully practiced and spread Bharatanatyam throughout the world. All of these Bharatanatyam performers are dedicated to the art form without any assistance from the government in any way. The economics of classical dance is less flattering than those shown on television. Despite these setbacks, these dancers work tirelessly to spread the message of excellent dance. In India, pursuing a full-time career in the performing arts requires great desire and courage. Each of these artists is a cultural ambassador representing a rich classical dance tradition. All strength to them! India’s national circuit will one day have as many fans as possible!
