Gayatri Balagurunathan

🪔 About

Gayatri Balagurunathan, born on February 18, 1976, in Chennai, India, is a distinguished Bharatanatyam dancer. She received her initial training in Bharatanatyam from her mother, Krishnaveni Lakshmanan, and further specialized under Sharada Hoffman and N.S. Jayalakshmi at the esteemed Kalakshetra Foundation in Chennai. Her artistic pursuits also extended to Carnatic vocal music, which she learned from Saleem Chellam Iyengar, and Veena, under the tutelage of Dr. Rajeshwari Padmanabhan. Throughout her career, Gayatri Balagurunathan has graced numerous national and international stages, performing at prestigious events such as the Natyanjali festival in Chidambaram, the Music Academy Festival, and the Natyarangam Festival in Chennai. Her international performances have taken her to countries including the U.S.A., Australia, Malaysia, Japan, South Africa, and New Zealand. She is recognized for her choreographic works, having co-produced and choreographed several dance dramas, including "Thrayee Shakthi," "Ayigiri Nandhini," "Aran Aadal," and "Aynkaran." She also collaborated with V. Balagurunathan on "Vidura Neeti" and worked with the Darpana Academy in Ahmedabad. Gayatri frequently performs as part of a prominent Bharatanatyam duo with V. Balagurunathan, carrying forward the classical tradition inherited from their mentor Krishnaveni Lakshmanan. Her contributions to Indian classical dance have been acknowledged with several honors, including the Balasaraswathy Endowment by Krishna Gana Sabha, Yuva Kala Bharati of Bharath Kalachar, T.S. Parthasarathy Award of Music Academy, Sathya Kalpana Praveena Sundaram of Bharathanjali Trust, and Nrithya Chinthamani of Sumukhi Memorial Foundation. In 2008, she was awarded the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar by the Sangeet Natak Akademi for her achievements in Bharatanatyam. She is currently pursuing a Masters in Fine Arts in Bharatanatyam from Kalai Kaviri College, Tiruchirappalli. Gayatri, along with V. Balagurunathan, launched the Krishnanjali Trust, which runs Krishnanjali Academy in Chennai, providing free dance classes to underprivileged children. She also conducts Bharatanatyam classes in Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai. Awards & Honours: Balasaraswathy Endowment by Krishna Gana Sabha, Yuva Kala Bharati of Bharath Kalachar, T.S. Parthasarathy Award of Music Academy, Sathya Kalpana Praveena Sundaram of Bharathanjali Trust, Nrithya Chinthamani of Sumukhi Memorial Foundation, Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar (Sangeet Natak Akademi) (2008).