Sithara Balakrishnan

🪔 About

Sithara Balakrishnan is an eminent Indian classical dancer, recognized primarily as a Mohiniyattam exponent, teacher, and occasional actress, with a career spanning over four decades in the field of dance. She holds an MFA degree from Nalanda Nritha Mahavidyala, Mumbai, which has provided her with a strong academic and practical foundation in classical dance. Balakrishnan is particularly acclaimed for her profound understanding and presentation of the Sopanam style of Mohiniyattam, a distinctive form deeply influenced by the late veteran theatre personality Kavalam Narayana Panicker. She frequently incorporates choreographies by the renowned Mohiniyattam exponent Kanak Rele, actively promoting Rele's unique body-kinesthetic approach to the dance form. Her extensive performance career includes appearances at prestigious cultural events such as the Nishagandhi Dance Festival and performances organized by the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi in Thrissur in 2017. Demonstrating her dedication to the propagation and preservation of Mohiniyattam, Sithara Balakrishnan has also conducted specialized workshops, including a three-day session in December 2022 focused on the Kanak Rele style. Beyond her contributions to dance, she has also explored acting, making her debut in the television serial "Avasthantharam" in 1995-96 and later taking on the role of Neeli in a stage adaptation of the classic Malayalam play "Neelakuyil." She is also recognized for her skills as a dance teacher and choreographer, and has performed Bharatanatyam.