Aishwarya Warrier

🪔 About

Aishwarya Warrier, also known as Ayswaria Wariar, is an acclaimed Indian classical dancer, art educator, choreographer, and researcher, primarily recognized for her mastery of Mohiniyattam. Born in Kozhikode (Calicut), Kerala, in 1975, she spent her formative years in Mumbai before establishing her career in Vadodara, Gujarat. Her journey into Indian classical dance began at the tender age of five, under the initial tutelage of her mother, Sreebala Menon, who was also a dancer. Warrier received extensive training in both Bharatanatyam and Mohiniyattam from eminent gurus, including Dr. Sucheta Bhide Chapekar, Udyogamandal Vikraman, and Kalamandalam Saraswathi. She further honed her expressive skills, particularly in *netrabhinaya* (eye expressions), under Margi Usha and received guidance in Sopana Sangeetham from the late Padmabhushan Kavalam Narayana Panicker, whose compositions she has extensively performed and choreographed. Academically, Warrier holds a Master's degree in Dance from Pune University (1999) and a PhD in Mohiniyattam from Bharatidasan University (2019), where her doctoral research focused on the text, sub-text, and performance relationship in the dance form. In 1997, she founded the Nrityodaya School of Classical Dance in Vadodara, where she has trained over 500 students and significantly contributed to popularizing Mohiniyattam in Gujarat for over two decades. She also serves as the Director of Ayswaria's Institute for Creative Expression (AICE) in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra. From 2019 to 2021, Warrier was the Regional Director for the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) Regional Centre in Vadodara. Her choreographic works often blend traditional elements with contemporary themes, as seen in productions like 'Meghadootham,' 'Gopalaka Pahimam,' 'Shakthi,' and 'Shakunthala.' She is also an empanelled artist with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). Awards & Honours: Kalasree Puraskar (2015), Gujarat Gaurav Puraskar, Devdasi Puraskar, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi award for non-resident Malayalis.