P.S. Prakruthi

🪔 About

Prakruti Prativadi is a distinguished Bharatanatyam dancer, teacher, researcher, and author, known for her profound contributions to the understanding and propagation of Indian classical dance. She received her initial Bharatanatyam training from Guru Smt. Charu Narasimhan and further honed her skills under the tutelage of Guru (Padmabhushan) Smt. Kalanidhi Narayanan. Her training is rooted in the Dhandayudhapani Pillai style of Bharatanatyam, a lineage passed down from the guru of her own guru, Padmashri Sri K. N. Dhandayudhapani Pillai. Prativadi is the founder and director of Kala Saurabhi Dance School, located in the United States, where she actively teaches and promotes the art form. She is also an active performer, showcasing her talent in both the US and India. Beyond her performance and teaching career, Prakruti Prativadi is a dedicated scholar. She has dedicated seven years to researching ancient Sanskrit texts and other treatises on Indian art and aesthetics, which culminated in her authorship of the book "Rasas in Bharatanatyam: First in a Series on Indian Aesthetics and Bharatanatyam," published in 2017. Her research extends to presenting papers on Bharatanatyam and the Natyashastra at various scholarly conferences globally. Notably, she has presented at the Swadeshi Indology Conference at IIT Madras and the World Association for Vedic Studies (WAVES) Conference, where in 2022, she presented on "Nāṭyaśāstra's Influence on the Genres of Modern Dance and Contemporary Ballet." Her scholarly work emphasizes the divine Vedic metaphysical foundations of Bharatanatyam. In addition to her dance and research, Prativadi is trained in Carnatic music and is proficient in Sanskrit, Tamil, and Kannada. She also holds a professional background as an aerospace engineer, having worked on NASA projects.