Madhu Gopinath

🪔 About

Madhu Gopinath is an acclaimed Indian dancer and choreographer, widely recognized for his contributions to contemporary Indian dance. Born and brought up in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, he received training in various classical dance forms and martial arts, including Bharatanatyam during his school days. He is also a Yoga expert. In 1998, Madhu Gopinath co-founded "Samudra Performing Arts" with Vakkom Sajeev, a creative dance theatre that has become a leading institution in the field of creative physical dance. Together, they developed a unique dance vocabulary called "Samudranatanam" (also referred to as "Samudra Nadanam"), which fuses different Indian dance forms and martial arts, aiming for an innovative and vibrant Indian idiom of dance that resonates with everyday gestures. Throughout his career, Gopinath has directed and choreographed several major productions, including 'Jalam', 'The Sound of Silence', 'The Cosmic Dance of Shiva', and 'Rhythm'. His work has been showcased at prestigious international festivals such as The International Summer Theatre Festival in Hamburg, Germany, the Royal Opera House in London, and the Hong Kong Asian Festival, as well as numerous Indian festivals like the Soorya Festival and Sangeeth Natak Akademi Festival. A significant highlight of his career includes choreographing the five-minute "Agni Segment" for the closing ceremony of the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, involving 480 dancers and martial arts experts. He has also choreographed for films, earning a National Award for his work in 'Rathrimazha' in 2007. Awards & Honours: National Award for Best Choreographer (2006), Best Choreographer Award (2006), Film Critics Association Award (2006), Best Choreography Award (2010), Film Critics Association Award (2010), Kalashree Puraskaar.