Gayathri Kannan

🪔 About

Dr. Gayathri Kannan is a distinguished Bharatanatyam dancer, vocalist, and scholar, deeply rooted in the tradition of Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam. Hailing from an artistic family, she commenced her formal dance training at the age of five, performing her arangetram at eight. She is a senior disciple of Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam for dance and Vidwan Sri S. Rajam for music. At Nrithyodaya, the esteemed institution led by her guru, she completed the "Nritya Pravesika" Certificate Course, "Nritya Visaradha" Diploma Course, and the "Nritya Sali" Post Diploma Certificate Course, which focuses on the 108 Karanas of Natya Sastra. Academically accomplished, Gayathri Kannan holds a Master's Degree in Sanskrit from Presidency College, Chennai, where she was a gold medalist, and a Ph.D. in Sanskrit from Madras University for her dissertation "MadhuraVijayam - A Literary Appreciation," for which she received the Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship. Her career encompasses extensive performances as a solo artist and as a principal dancer and main vocalist accompanying Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam across India and internationally, including the USA, Canada, UK, France, Portugal, Switzerland, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Australia. She has presented numerous lecture demonstrations and actively assists her guru in research. Notably, she was invited to perform at the World Ethnic Dance Festival in San Francisco and led her students to perform for the Parliament of Sri Lanka in 2003. Dr. Gayathri Kannan is a senior teacher and faculty member at Nrithyodaya, Chennai, contributing significantly to its teaching legacy. Her daughter, Mahati Kannan, is also a Bharatanatyam dancer, whom Gayathri Kannan supports with vocal accompaniment and nattuvangam, ensuring the continuation of their artistic heritage. Awards & Honours: Yuva Kala Bharati (1993), Abinaya Aadalarasi, Natya Kala Ranjini, Nritya Vidhya Ratna, Natya kala Vipanchi, Balasaraswathi endowment prize of Sri Krishna Gana Sabha.