Tara Rajkumar

🪔 About

Tara Rajkumar is a distinguished Indian classical dancer, choreographer, teacher, researcher, and artistic director, renowned for her contributions to Kathakali and Mohiniyattam. Born in 1948 in Kozhikode, Kerala, India, she is the daughter of T. M. B. Nedungadi, former chairman of Kerala Kalamandalam, and the great-grandniece of Appu Nedungadi, author of the first Malayalam novel, "Kundalata". Her journey in dance began at the tender age of four with Kathakali. She received her initial serious training in Kathakali from Moleri Namboothiri in Kochi, and later advanced training under legendary gurus Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair, Kalyanikutty Amma (for Mohiniyattam), and Mani Madhava Chakyar. While in Delhi, she also studied Kathakali under Guru Punnathoor Madhava Panicker at the International Centre for Kathakali (ICK) and received training in Odissi from Guru Surendra Nath Jena. Rajkumar's career has spanned India, the United Kingdom, and Australia. In 1979, she founded Akademi (then known as the Academy of Indian Dance) in London, a pioneering classical dance center that continues to operate today. After immigrating to Australia in 1983, she established the Natya Sudha School and Natya Sudha Dance Company in Melbourne in 1986, playing a pivotal role in popularizing Indian classical arts in the country. She has performed in prestigious venues globally, including London's South Bank, the Sydney Opera House, and Melbourne's Victorian Arts Centre. Her work includes developing cross-cultural projects like "Traditions in Transition" and creating a course, "New Dance Forms and Old Cultures," at Monash University, the first of its kind in Australia. A documentary about her, "Tara the Singing Anklet," premiered in 2023. Awards & Honours: Medal of the Order of Australia (2009), Victorian Honour Roll of Women (2001), Victorian Volunteer Award (2006), Ethnic Arts Award (1981), Award for outstanding contribution to Indian Art and Culture in Australia, Victorian Premier's Award for Community Harmony (2018), Annual Encouragement Award.