Sunanda Nair

🪔 About

Dr. Sunanda Nair is a leading Indian classical dancer, acclaimed as a prominent exponent of Mohiniyattam, a classical dance style of Kerala. Born in Mumbai, India, she began her initial training in Bharatanatyam at the age of six and Kathakali at ten under Kalamandalam Krishnan Kutty Warrier. Her profound dedication to dance led her to pursue higher education in Mohiniyattam at Nalanda Nritya Kala Mahavidyalaya, affiliated with the University of Mumbai. She holds the distinction of being the first student in India to earn both a Bachelor of Fine Arts (1989) and a Master of Fine Arts (1991) degree in Mohiniyattam from this institution. Sunanda Nair is a senior disciple of the renowned Mohiniyattam exponent Padmabhushan Dr. Kanak Rele, who is credited with the revival and popularization of this dance form. After completing her master's, Nair served as a lecturer in Mohiniyattam at her alma mater, Nalanda, for nine years until 1999. She furthered her academic pursuits by completing a PhD from the University of Mumbai in 2016, with her thesis titled "Intrinsic Lyrical Feminism in Mohiniattam," guided by Dr. Kanak Rele. Her career as a performer, choreographer, and teacher spans decades, marked by numerous national and international performances at prestigious festivals worldwide. Dr. Nair is also a dedicated educator, having founded the Srutilaya Institute of Fine Arts in Mumbai in 1982, and later, Sunanda's Performing Art Centre (SPARC) in the USA in 2002, initially in New Orleans and subsequently in Houston. Through these institutions, she has been instrumental in training younger generations of dancers and promoting the "Nalanda Bani" (style) of Mohiniyattam globally. Awards & Honours: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2024), Kalasree Award (Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award) (2011), Kalarathnam (2016), Nrithya Seva Mani award (2020), Muthirai Pathitha Vithagar (2018), Nalanda Kanaka Nartana Puraskaar (2017), Global Mannam award (2020), Global Excellence Award for Performing Arts (2019), Kalaasagar (2010), Abhinaya shiromani, Singar Mani, Nelluvai Nambeeshan Smarak Award for Mohiniattam, Natya Mayuri, Best Ethnic Classical Arts Award (2003), Global Excellence Dance Award.