Praveen Kumar

Recipient of Senior Fellowship Award, 2024

Hailing from a family of artists, Praveen Kumar showed a natural inclination towards Arts and Dance at a very young age. His tutelage under the eminent gurus Smt. Narmada and Prof.C.V.Chandrasekhar helped him realize the aesthetic depths, traditional of Bharathanatyam and dedicate himself wholeheartedly and purposefully to this ancient dance form.

He has skillfully ideated several critically acclaimed productions to his credit including Tyagaraja Hruth Sadana, Rtu Vismruthi, Vani, Sakha, Anangha Vilasa and Pandharpur. Through his dance productions, he has explored aspects like climate change, fabrics, various complexities and nuances within interpersonal relationships, under-discussed dimensions of mythology.

He is the founder of the Chithkala School of Dance at Bangalore. Praveen Kumar – an empanelled artist of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) and an ‘A’ grade artist on National Broadcaster ‘Doordarshan’.

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Parvathy Menon

Recipient of Senior Fellowship Award, 2023

Parvathy Menon is one of the most authentic and traditional representatives of the Kalakshetra style of Bharatanatyam. Parvathy’s art embodies the highest qualities of restrain, aesthetic refinement and a technique that is both evocative and spiritual in its interpretation. She has consciously shunned needless theatrics and communication methods which are not in consonance with the enshrined principles of this great art form.

Through her performances at dance venues in both India and overseas, she continues to successfully awe viewers with the spiritual power of Bharatanatyam. She believes that Bharatanatyam is her spiritual recourse.

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Shruti Gopal

Recipient of Junior Fellowship Award, 2023

Known for her mastery over abhinaya, Shruti Gopal has been successful in carving a niche for herself. Shruti is the disciple of legendary Guru Smt. Padmini Ramachandran and presently trains under Shri Mavin Khoo. She is the artistic director at Upadhye school of dance and is an integral part of Punyah Dance Company.

She is a graded artist of Doordarshan and has performed at various prestigious festivals with her guru’s performing team ‘Natyapriya’. She was part of an Indian Delegation to China under the Cultural Exchange Programme of Ministry of Human Resources, Govt. of India in 2011. She was conferred with the title. Apart from being an intergral part of Punyah Dance company’s productions Shruti has also had the opportunity to work with various dance companies.

She has performed extensively in India and abroad and hopes to spread the beauty of this art form and create dialogue in and around the art form.

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Sreelakshmy Govardhanan

Recipient of Senior Fellowship Award, 2022

Sreelakshmy Govardhanan is an accomplished Indian classical dancer of Kuchipudi. Based in Kerala, she has made her mark in Kuchipudi by the dint of her immense talent and unrelenting hard work. She is the disciple of Pasumarthy Rattaiha Sarma, a maestro in Kuchipudi Yakshagana. He has been the guiding light in her journey to master the fine traits of the pure form of Kuchipudi.

Sreelakshmy Govardhanan is a creative dancer, choreographer and teacher of Kuchipudi. Her ongoing study includes active research and documenting of Kuchipudi Yakshagana.

Founder and Artistic Director of the Avantika Space for Dance, a centre for learning, performance and research, her dance activity includes workshops, classes, seminars and lecture demonstrations.

K. Sarveshan

Recipient of Junior Fellowship Award, 2022

K Sarveshan is a Bharatanatyam artist of South African Indian origin. His artistic path is one that traverses tradition and diversity, creating a niche for himself as a talented gen-next dancer. His understanding of Bharatanatyam and movement practice is inspired by exemplary Gurus – Savitri Naidoo and Darshana Rama from Cape Town and The Dhananjayans in Chennai.

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Gauri Diwakar

Recipient of Senior Fellowship Award, 2019

Gauri Diwakar started her dance journey in Jamshedpur where she learned under Ms Sumita Chowdhary.  She further honed her skills under the tutelage of the renowned Gurus, Pandit Birju Maharaj and Shri Jai Kishan Maharaj at the Kathak Kendra, New Delhi. After graduating with distinction from Kathak Kendra, Gauri further perfected her skills under the renowned exponent of Kathak, Ms Aditi Mangaldas.

Gauri Diwakar has created a niche for herself and has performed in national and international dance festivals. An ‘A’ Grade artist with the national broadcaster Doordarshan, she is credited with a number of noted solo performances. She is also an empanelled artist with Indian Council for Cultural Relations.

Gauri Diwakar continues to pass on her skills by training young students under her own trust “Gauri Diwakar Sanskriti Foundation- Sarvatra Nrityam” and thus helping to keep an age-old tradition alive.  

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Shweta Prachande

Recipient of Junior Fellowship Award, 2019

Shweta Prachande is currently training with Guru Smt. Priyadarsini Govind after completing the five-year course at Kalavardhini Dance Institute under Guru Dr. Sucheta Chapekar.

She has since come to be recognized as one of Bharatanatyam’s leading young dancers in today’s generation.

Shweta Prachande is an ‘A’ Grade artist with the national broadcaster Doordarshan, and an empanelled artist of the ICCR for Bharatanatyam.

Shweta Prachande has performed extensively in India and abroad in many prestigious festivals. She has conducted workshops, lectures and presentations.

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Shashwati Garai Ghosh

Recipient of Senior Fellowship Award, 2018

Shashwati Garai Ghosh began training in Odissi under noted dancer and choreographer Smt. Sharmila Biswas. She has since groomed herself as a soloist. 

She has had the privilege of receiving special training from legends like Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, Smt Kalanidhi Narayanan, Smt Sonal Mansingh, Shri Durgacharan Ranbir.

Shashwati Garai Ghosh has been the Rehearsal Supervisor and Head Instructor for trainee dancers at Smt. Sharmila Biswas’s internationally acclaimed institution Odissi Vision & Movement Centre (OVM) and has travelled extensively in India, and abroad, giving notable performances at prestigious festivals in group and solo work.

Angashuddhi her Odissi dance institute is an initiative to nurture and train the next generation of dancers. Her dance activity includes regular workshops for schools and Institutions around India.

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Christopher Gurusamy

Recipient of Junior Fellowship Award, 2018

Christopher Gurusamy is a full-time professional Bharatanatyam performer based in Chennai, India. He is regarded as one of the front-liners of his generation having performed extensively within India and globally. 

Christopher Gurusamy joined Kalakshetra during the tenure of Leela Samson as Director and graduated with a first-class post graduate diploma. He later joined Leela Samson’s Spanda Dance company performing, touring and learning under the renowned dancer. 

He continues his training with Smt Bragha Bessel, with whom he has studied abhinaya (emotive dance) for over a decade. He passionately strives to seek the truth of the form in an attempt to become more than just a performer.

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Sandra Pisharody

Recipient of Junior Fellowship Award, 2017

Sandra Pisharody, is a young Mohiniyattam artist from Irinjalakuda, Kerala. She is the senior disciple of Mohiniyattam exponent Guru Nirmala Paniker. She is a performing artist of Natanakaisiki Mohiniyatta Gurukulam, Natanakairali. She has gone through intense abhinaya training under Guru Venuji and Guru Nirmala Paniker in gurukula sampradaya.

Sandra Pisharody has been awarded with ‘B’ grade by Doordarshan Kendra. She has also been selected by South Zone Cultural Centre, Department of Culture for special coaching in Mohiniyattam.

Sandra Pisharody has extensively performed in India and abroad. Sandra Pisharody ‘s dance activity includes workshops, classes, seminars and lecture demonstrations.