Madhavi Menon

🪔 About

Dr. Madhavi Menon is a distinguished Bharatanatyam dancer, teacher, and choreographer, known for her dedication to the Thanjavoor bani/style of this classical Indian dance form. Her journey in Bharatanatyam began at the age of six under the tutelage of Smt. Sudhamahi Regunathan, a disciple of Kalaimamani Guru K.N. Dakshinamurthy. She further honed her skills with Padmashri Guru Smt. Geeta Chandran at 'Natya Vriksha' in New Delhi, India. Dr. Menon made her debut performance, or Arangetram, alongside her sister Meenakshi Menon in 1999 at the Triveni Chamber Theater, New Delhi. Throughout her career, Dr. Menon has performed extensively both as a solo artist and as a member of the Natya Vriksha dance company. Her notable performances in India include appearances at the 13th Konark Dance Festival in Orissa, 'Seeking Vishnu' for the Chinmaya Mission's 50th anniversary, 'Her Voice' (a unique collaboration of puppetry and Bharatanatyam), and 'Sivam' at the First National Festival of New Choreographies. In the United States, where she has resided in South Florida since 2001, she has performed at significant venues such as the inauguration of the Carnival Center of the Performing Arts, the Florida Renaissance Festival, and the Women's Arts and Culture Festival. In 2016, Dr. Menon founded the Natya Mārga School of Dance in Davie, Florida, where she imparts her knowledge of Bharatanatyam to children and adults, emphasizing both the theory and practice of the dance form. She has also collaborated with other classical dancers, co-founding the 'KALANVAY' dance company, which premiered productions like 'PanchaNidhi- the Enigma of Five'. Beyond performing and teaching, Dr. Menon has served as a judge for world dance at the National Foundation for Advancement in Arts (NFAA Young Arts Awards) from 2003 to 2012. She also holds a PhD in Developmental Psychology and is a Professor of Psychology at Nova Southeastern University, demonstrating a multifaceted career. Additionally, she trained in Carnatic classical vocal music under Smt. Visalam Venkatachalam and was a regular performer for All India Radio's Yuva-Vani Station.