Madhumathy Prakash

🪔 About

Madhumathy Prakash is a highly recognized Bharatanatyam performer, choreographer, and exponent, deeply rooted in the Kancheepuram style of dance. She is the daughter and a direct disciple of the esteemed Kalaimamani Guru Sri Udupi Lakshminarayanan, from whom she inherited a profound empathy and affection for her students. From a young age, she immersed herself in her father's classes, gaining mastery in dance techniques, music, and laya. Prakash holds a bachelor's degree in Indian music and a Master of Fine Arts in Bharatanatyam. Her career as a dance teacher commenced in 1989 at Natya Manjari, the renowned dance academy founded by her father, which aims to uphold the Bharatanatyam traditions envisioned by Bharatha Shastra Ratna Kancheepuram Sri Ellappa Mudaliar. Madhumathy Prakash is instrumental in perpetuating this tradition, emerging as a leading figure in the institution. She emphasizes the compulsory learning of both music and dance for her students, considering music the backbone of the art form, and trains them comprehensively in practical and theoretical aspects of music and Nattuvangam. As a performer, Prakash has achieved considerable success in both solo and group presentations, and as a choreographer, she has created numerous dance ballets such as Dasavatharam, Shiva Leela Vinodham, Sri Rama Charitham, Geetha Nritya Saman Vaya, and Swara raga, Sudheelalya. Her unique talent lies in seamlessly integrating swaras with various ragas within the Bharatanatyam framework. Her extensive travels have taken her to African countries, Sri Lanka, and Japan. She is also an author, with two books to her credit: "Laghu Nritya Sangrha," a theoretical guide to Bharatanatyam, and "Udupi Sphoorthi Ranjanam," a compilation of her guru and father's compositions. She has been honored with several awards, including the Best Dancer Award from various institutions and the Best Women Achievement Award in 2013. Awards & Honours: Best Dancer Award, Best Women Achievement Award (2013).