Dakshina Vaidyanathan

🪔 About

Dakshina Vaidyanathan is a prominent third-generation Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer, and teacher, hailing from a distinguished family of Indian classical dancers. She is the granddaughter of the veteran dancer-guru-choreographer Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan Saroja Vaidyanathan, and the daughter of renowned dancer Kalaimamani Rama Vaidyanathan. Dakshina received her rigorous training in Bharatanatyam at Ganesa Natyalaya, the esteemed institution founded by her grandmother in Delhi, under the tutelage of both Guru Saroja Vaidyanathan and Rama Vaidyanathan. Her academic qualifications include a Diploma in Bharatanatyam from Indira Kala Sangit Vidyalaya and a B.Tech degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Vellore Institute of Technology. Dakshina has been performing since a young age, accompanying her grandmother and mother on various national and international tours from the age of ten. She has also traveled individually for youth festivals, showcasing her talent in countries like Japan, Africa, New Zealand, Russia, UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, and the USA. Known for her graceful stage presence and innovative choreographies, Dakshina has created unique productions such as "Newton's law of Karma," "Cleopatra," and "Nakshatra," which explores the twelve zodiac patterns. She is recognized for her "neo-classical" approach, aiming to express modern thoughts and concepts through the traditional Bharatanatyam vocabulary, believing in dance's power to address social issues. Dakshina is an empanelled artist with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and regularly conducts workshops and demonstrations across India through SPIC MACAY. She is also actively involved in teaching Bharatanatyam at Ganesa Natyalaya, continuing her family's legacy. Her contributions to the art form have been recognized with several accolades, including the CCRT scholarship from the Department of Culture, Government of India in 2003, the Kalpana Chawla Award in the Young Achievers' category in 2005, and the Sahitya Kala Parishad Scholarship in 2012. Awards & Honours: CCRT scholarship (2003), Kalpana Chawla Award (2005), Sahitya Kala Parishad Scholarship (2012).