Malini Srinivasan

🪔 About

Malini Srinivasan is a critically-acclaimed, third-generation Bharatanatyam artist, choreographer, and teacher, who carries forward a rich matrilineal tradition of dance. She began her Bharatanatyam training at a young age with her mother, Radha Srinivasan, and grandmother, Komalavalli Mani. Srinivasan is a disciple of the world-renowned artist Sri C.V. Chandrasekhar, and she commenced her studies in the Kalakshetra style in 2000 under Smt. Savitri Jagganath Rao. Her Arangetram, or debut performance, was guided by Meena Raman. From 1999 to 2004, Malini Srinivasan resided in Chennai, India, to intensively pursue her study of dance and allied art forms, including Nattuvangam, Carnatic vocal music, Kalaripayattu, Yoga, Sanskrit, and Tamil. As a soloist, she has garnered critical acclaim and performed Bharatanatyam for diverse audiences across the U.S., India, and Europe. Her performance venues include prestigious locations such as The Winter Garden in NYC, The Smithsonian Folklife Festival in D.C., LaMama Moves! in NYC, The Music Academy in Chennai, the Wasserkiche in Zurich, and the New York Fringe Festival. Srinivasan has also performed with notable groups including the Padmini Chettur Group, Ragamala, Rajika Puri and Dancers, Thresh, and Kala Nivedanam. Her choreographic works encompass both solo and group pieces, such as "Being Becoming," "Ode to Love's Arrows," and "Tejas-Luminous." Committed to fostering a deep understanding of Indian classical traditions, Malini Srinivasan founded the Gitanjali Dance School in 2009. She has served as a visiting artist and lecturer at several academic institutions, including Princeton University, Wellesley College, UNC Asheville, Brooklyn Friends, and Colgate University. From 2006 to 2016, she held the position of Adjunct Lecturer in the Asian & Asian-American Studies Department at SUNY Stony Brook. Currently, she is the School Programs Manager and a Teaching Artist with City Lore, and also teaches at the Consulate General of India. Srinivasan draws inspiration from her grandmother, Kolima, who trained hundreds of students in Bombay and emphasized kindness and joy in her teaching approach. Awards & Honours: Dance in Queens Residency (2009), LaGuardia Performing Arts Center Residency (2010), Queens Council on the Arts Individual Artist Grant (2010), Queens Council on the Arts Individual Artist Grant (2012), Queens Council on the Arts Individual Artist Grant (2014), New Music USA Grant (2016), NYC Fringe Award for Excellence.