Jayalakshmi Eshwar

🪔 About

Jayalakshmi Eshwar, born on September 8, 1951, in New Delhi, India, is an internationally renowned Bharatanatyam exponent with a distinguished career spanning over five decades. Her initial training in Bharatanatyam was under Pakriswami Pillai, followed by intensive tutelage under the legendary Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale at Kalakshetra, Chennai. She performed her Arangetram at Kalakshetra on December 1, 1970. Eshwar also explored other classical dance forms, gaining introductory knowledge of Kuchipudi and Chhau, and performing her Rangapravesh in Odissi under Padmashree Guru Mayadhar Raut. A versatile artist, Jayalakshmi Eshwar is celebrated as an exceptional performer, choreographer, teacher, and author. She is the founder of Abhinayaa Center for Dance in New Delhi and currently heads the Bharatanatyam Department at Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi. Her extensive performance career includes solo, group, and collaborative formats across India and internationally, with acclaimed thematic productions ranging from ancient Vedic concepts to modern interpretations. She also notably enacted the role of a Tanjore dancer in the National Award-winning Kannada film "Hamsa Geethe" in 1975. Beyond performing, Eshwar is a dedicated educator and cultural ambassador. She conducts national and international Bharatanatyam workshops, has served as an Artistic Director for the International Students Day of ICCR for four years, and is an examiner for several Indian universities. She regularly delivers lectures for the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT) and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA). Her commitment to arts education is further evidenced by her role as a member of the Expert Committee for the selection of school children's items for Republic Day Celebrations in 2013 and 2014. As an author, Jayalakshmi Eshwar has made significant contributions to Bharatanatyam literature, publishing four internationally acclaimed instructional books: "Bharatanatyam How To," "Paadha Bhedaah," "Hastha Prayogaah" (in English and Tamil), and "Nritya Vidhya." She also developed a unique "Educational Dance Card Game" based on Indian classical dance forms and produced a 25-episode DVD series titled "LANGUAGE OF DANCE" for CIET, NCERT. She has mentored hundreds of students, many of whom have established their own dance centers globally. Her contributions have been recognized with numerous accolades, including the Natya Tharagai award in 1996 from the Tamil culture conference in Toronto, Canada, a Senior Fellowship Award from the Sangeet Natak Akademi (2003-05), and the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2021 for her outstanding work in Bharatanatyam. She also received the "Acharya Kala Bharathi" from Bharat Kalachar, Chennai, and an early career prize from President Dr. S. Radhakrishnan in an inter-Ministry Dance competition. Awards & Honours: Prize in inter-Ministry Dance competition, Natya Tharagai (1996), Senior Fellowship Award from Sangeet Natak Akademi (2003), Acharya Kala Bharathi, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2021).