Sangeeta Isvaran

🪔 About

Sangeeta Isvaran is an accomplished Indian Bharatanatyam dancer, research scholar, and social worker, widely recognized for her innovative approach to using classical dance for social transformation. She graduated with a degree in mathematics from Madras Christian College (MCC) in Chennai, India, and later earned a Master's in Performing Arts from the Central University, Hyderabad. Isvaran began her formal Bharatanatyam training at the age of five, becoming one of the first students of Abhinaya Sudha, the dance school founded by the pioneering maestra Kalanidhi Narayanan. She further honed her skills under Bharatanatyam teacher Savithri Jagannatha Rao and specialized in abhinaya under Guru Kalanidhi. Her diverse artistic training also includes Carnatic music, Kuchipudi, Kalaripayattu, and Nattuvangam under Kamalarani, along with a diploma in Cambodian classical dance. Isvaran is the founder of the Katradi NGO and the Wind Dancers' Trust, through which she developed the unique 'Katradi Method.' This method utilizes fine arts for conflict resolution, education, and empowering marginalized and underprivileged communities. Her extensive social work includes collaborating with abused children, victims of natural disasters, street children, drug addicts, and commercial sex workers across more than 30 countries. She has performed in over 40 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, North and South America, and has served as the coordinator for the UNESCO initiative 'Youth For Peace,' conducting workshops globally. Sangeeta Isvaran is also an empanelled dancer of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and a visiting professor at numerous universities and institutions worldwide. Awards & Honours: Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar (2006), Kala Rathna, Prix de la Creation, Centre Culturel d'Enghien-les-bains, Vasantalakshmi Young Dancer award, Best lecture award for 'Ramayana in the Performing Arts of Southeast Asia'.