Shobhana Balachandra

🪔 About

Shobhana Balachandra is a highly acclaimed Indian classical dancer, choreographer, and a senior Bharatanatyam guru. She is recognized as one of the renowned Trio Sisters of Chennai. Her extensive training in Bharatanatyam began as an early disciple of the famous dance duo, V.P. and Shanta Dhananjayan, where she was trained in the popular Kalakshetra style. She further honed her skills in Abhinaya (expressions) under the tutelage of Padma Bhushan Kalanidhi Narayanan. Additionally, she received training from legendary Bharatanatyam dancers Chitra Visweswaran and Padma Subrahmanyam. Shobhana also underwent professional training in Classical Music and Nattuvangam. She began dancing at the age of seven and was a part of the Dhananjayans' troupe for many years. In the early 1980s, she commenced her teaching career at her alma mater, Bharata Kalanjali, where she has served as the Creative Executive Director since 2021. In 1994, Shobhana founded her own institution, Kalarpana, in Chennai, with the aim of organizing annual festivals across India to support talented but financially insecure artists. As a empanelled artist of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), she has performed extensively in India and internationally, including in Russia, the UK, Germany, Denmark, South Africa, and the USA. Her career, spanning over three decades, showcases her abundant creativity in choreographing various thematic presentations while maintaining the purity of the art form. She is also an accomplished actress, having starred in over 230 films across multiple Indian languages and an English film. Awards & Honours: Padma Shri (2006), Kalaimamani (2011), Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship (Kalarathna) (2013), Honorary Doctorate (Vinayaka Mission's Research Foundation) (2018), Honorary Doctorate (Dr. MGR Educational and Research Institute) (2019), Honorary Degree D.Litt. (Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit) (2022), Vrindarani Award from Lasya Academy (2023), Narada Gana Sabha Trust Award (for propagating 'Swati Tirunal's Works') (2023), Padma Bhushan (2025), A Top grade awards by Doordarshan Kendra, Prasar Bharti, Acharya Rathnakara Felicitation Ceremony.