Arundhati Patwardhan

🪔 About

Arundhati Patwardhan is a distinguished Bharatanatyam dancer, born on November 8, 1975. She is the daughter and a primary disciple of the renowned Bharatanatyam guru, Dr. Sucheta Bhide Chapekar. Patwardhan initially pursued competitive swimming but an injury in her teenage years led her to refocus on dance. She holds a BCom degree and an MA in Bharatanatyam, which she completed in 1998 from Savitribai Phule Pune University's Centre for Performing Arts (Lalit Kala Kendra). Currently, she is pursuing her PhD in Bharatanatyam, with her research centered on the depiction of dance cultures in the temple architecture of Maharashtra. Patwardhan is actively involved in the management of Kalavardhini Nrityashala and Kalavardhini Charitable Trust, institutions founded by her mother in 1982 to promote Bharatanatyam in Maharashtra. Her dance troupe, Kalavardhini Sankul, has performed at numerous major dance festivals across India, including those in Khajuraho, Goa, Delhi, Chennai, and Mumbai. She has collaborated with her mother on choreographing and performing in several notable productions, such as those based on Jawaharlal Nehru's *The Discovery of India*, *Shivam* (inspired by Lord Shiva), *Shakti* (inspired by Hindu goddesses), and *Leeladaru* (based on a Maratha kingdom dance form). Patwardhan also manages a YouTube channel, Kalavardhini Srujan, showcasing performances and choreographies. Through Kalavardhini, she organizes various dance festivals and events in Pune, including Parikrama, Nrityaankur, Mukula, and Sanchari, a film festival dedicated to dance-related cinema since 2017.