Narthaki Nataraj

🪔 About

Narthaki Nataraj, born on July 7, 1964, in Anuppanadi, a village near Madurai, Tamil Nadu, is a celebrated Indian Bharatanatyam dancer. From a young age, Nataraj identified as female, leading to familial rejection and societal stigma, which prompted her to leave home around the age of 11 or 12. She found solace and expression in dance, initially through unstructured learning inspired by cinema. Her formal training began under Namanur Jeyaraman of the Tanjavur bani. Subsequently, she underwent 14 to 15 years of rigorous Gurukula training under the legendary Guru K.P. Kittappa Pillai, a direct descendant of the Tanjore Quartet, mastering the rare Tanjore style Nayaki Bhava tradition. Nataraj established her first dance school, Narthaki Nritya Kalalaya, in Madurai in 1989. In 2000, she moved to Chennai and founded the Velliyambalam School of Dance, which also has branches in the United States, United Kingdom, Norway, and Canada. Through her institutions, she trains Indian and international students in the authentic Thanjavur tradition, emphasizing the preservation of rare compositions and the Nayaki Bhava. Her career highlights include extensive international performances across India, the USA, UK, Europe, and other countries. Beyond her artistic contributions, Nataraj is a prominent social activist and a role model for the transgender community, advocating for their rights and inclusion. Her life story is featured in an 11th-standard Tamil textbook by the Tamil Nadu government. Awards & Honours: Kalaimamani Award (2007), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2011), Honorary Doctorate (Doctor of Letters) from Periyar Maniammai University (2016), Padma Shri (2019), Senior Fellowship from the Department of Culture, Government of India, Kala Seva Bharathi by Bharat Kalachar Chennai, Best dancer and Best Research on Swathi Thirunal Maharaja's music compositions – award and certificate by Naradha Gana Sabha and Travancore Royal Family Thiruvananthapuram, Lifetime Achievement Award (2024), Vidhya Nidhi Award by the Indian Fine Arts Academy in San Diego (2025).