Smt. Pathmini Gunaseelan

🪔 About

Sangeetha Vidwan Smt. Pathmini Gunaseelan is a distinguished figure in Indian classical dance, particularly Bharatanatyam, and the founder of Narthana Kalalayam. She graduated from the Madras Music College, where she earned diplomas in Bharatanatyam and Nattuvangam under the tutelage of the legendary Bharatanatyam exponent, late Padmashri Adayar K. Lakshman. Her expertise extends beyond dance, as she also possesses dual qualifications in dance and vocal music, having received further training from celebrated musicians including T. M. Thiyagarajan, K. V. Narayanaswamy, Brintha Amma, Ramanathapuram Krishnan, D. K. Jewaraman, and D. K. Pattamal. Smt. Gunaseelan began her teaching career around 1976, teaching for 25 years in Sri Lanka before moving to London, where she continued teaching for at least 10 years as of a 2011 interview. In 1985, she established Narthana Kalalayam with the support of her husband, Gunaseelan. The academy, based in London, offers Bharatanatyam, vocal, and violin classes in Walthamstow and East Ham, and has guided hundreds of aspiring dancers, producing 43 arangetram students. Many of her students have gone on to become dance teachers themselves. Known for her innovative dance productions, Smt. Gunaseelan has choreographed over 30 classical and contemporary dance dramas inspired by works such as Ramayanam, Mahabharatham, Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, and Anarkali. She has served as a resident teacher at Walthamstow Tamil Sangam and London Sri Murugan Temple, and previously taught at Essex Tamil Society for over 18 years and at Scunthorpe Indian Dance and Music Association (SIDA) for over 12 years. Her contributions to the field include serving as the Chief Examiner for Bharatanatyam at the Academy of Fine Arts (London) and being instrumental in compiling the Bharatanatyam syllabus for the Trinity College of Music. She has been honored with titles such as "Natya Kala Viththaki" in 2014 by the World Tamil Centre, Mathurai Tamil Sangam, and Thamizhavai, and "Natya Sampoorani" in 2016 by the Natya Anjali International Organisation. Awards & Honours: Natya Kala Viththaki (2014), Natya Sampoorani (2016).