Leela Venkataraman

🪔 About

Born in Chikkamagaloor, Karnataka, in 1936, Leela Venkataraman earned her Bachelor's degree in arts from Agra University. She received training in Kathak dance in Bangalore under Shri H.R. Keshava Murthy, a disciple of Shri Sohan Lal of the Jaipur gharana. Over several decades, Venkataraman has made a significant contribution to the Indian performing arts primarily as a distinguished critic and writer on Indian dance. Her career as a dance critic began in 1980 with The National Herald, followed by The Patriot, and she became widely recognized for her incisive commentary in her Friday Review column for the Delhi edition of The Hindu. She is also a regular contributor to prominent dance journals such as Sruti (Chennai), Nartanam (Hyderabad), and Narthaki on-line, as well as various international journals. Venkataraman has authored several influential books, including "Tradition in Transition" (also known as "Indian Classical Dance: a Tradition in Transition"), "Step by Step Bharatanatyam," "A Dancing Phenomenon - Birju Maharaj," and "Indian Classical Dance: The Renaissance and Beyond." She has actively participated in numerous prestigious dance seminars and workshops both in India and internationally, including events in Chicago, Washington, Malaysia, Houston, and Lyons, France. Additionally, she served on the Board of Management of the Kalakshetra Foundation for a full term. Awards & Honours: Lifetime Achievement Award conferred by the Lalit Kala Akademi of Mysore (2003), Nritya Shiromani given by IPAP, U.S.A. (2004), Award of the Deba Prasad Dance Institute (2006), Award of Excellence in Dance Journalism conferred by the Karthik Fine Arts Sabha of Chennai (2008), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for overall contribution to performing arts (2009), Award of the Shalla Sudha Academy for Excellence in Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dance (2009).