S. Sarada

🪔 About

S. Sarada, affectionately known as 'Periya Sarada teacher', was a pivotal figure in Indian classical dance, particularly Bharatanatyam, and a cornerstone of the Kalakshetra institution. Born in 1915, she received her early education at home from her grandfather, Pandit Subramania Sastri of Tanjavur, where she delved into Sanskrit plays, philosophical texts like the Yogavasishtha and the Gita, and works on music and Vedanta. Her grandmother, Lakshmi Ammal, and mother, Meenakshi, also contributed to her cultural and musical upbringing, with Sarada learning violin and veena. Sarada joined Kalakshetra in 1939 at the age of 24 as an honorary worker in the dance and music department, becoming the Head of the Dance Department in 1940. She was instrumental in shaping the Kalakshetra style, drafting the syllabus for dance theory and pioneering the practice of writing detailed notations for choreography, a method still in use today. Her profound understanding of Sanskrit made her a valuable asset in researching texts for Rukmini Devi's dance-dramas and editing their material. She also broke barriers by becoming one of the first women to perform nattuvangam. Throughout her career, Sarada was a dedicated teacher and scholar, serving on the Government of India Scholarships Committee for dance and as an examiner for various universities. She traveled internationally, giving talks on the spiritual underpinnings of Indian dance and culture. A lifelong loyalist to Theosophy, her interest in the philosophy began in 1939. She authored a biography of Rukmini Devi and, after retiring from Kalakshetra in 1985, continued her scholarly pursuits as an honorary worker at the Adyar Library. Awards & Honours: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1984), Award.