Jamuna Krishnan

🪔 About

Jamuna Krishnan was a highly respected Indian classical dancer, guru, musician, and scholar of Bharatanatyam, known for her significant contributions to the art form. Born into an artistic family, she was a multi-dimensional personality who was also a retired professor of economics at Delhi University. Krishnan received her rigorous Bharatanatyam training under the tutelage of Delhi's renowned K.J. Govindarajan at Triveni Kala Sangam for nearly three decades. She further honed her abhinaya (expressive dance) under the legendary Kalanidhi Narayanan of Chennai for three decades. Jamuna Krishnan was a path-breaker, recognized for her innovative productions and her unique approach to Bharatanatyam. She made a singular contribution by adapting North Indian devotional and love poetry, particularly from poets like Vidyapathi, Surdas, Meera, and Tulsidas, to the stringent Bharatanatyam 'margam' format. This pioneering work made the classical dance form more accessible to audiences in North India. She was the Director of the Kalangan Centre for Classical Arts, where she continued to teach and perform, expanding the horizons of Bharatanatyam. Jamuna Krishnan passed away on May 15, 2019, at the age of 75. Her legacy is carried forward by her prime disciple and daughter, Ragini Chandrasekhar. Awards & Honours: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2013), Parishad Samman (2003).