Uma Shankar

🪔 About

Uma Nambudripad Sathyanarayanan, also known as Uma Sathya Narayanan, is an accomplished and acclaimed Bharatanatyam dancer, Carnatic vocalist, and choreographer based in Chennai, India. Born in Pattambi, Palakkad district, her journey in dance began at the age of six in Nagpur, where she received her initial training under Smt. Sreemathy, a disciple of Smt. Lalitha Srinivasan of Bangalore. Her formative years saw her imbibing the nuances of Bharatanatyam, eventually leading her to become a senior disciple of the legendary Bharatanatyam dancer and choreographer, Guru Smt. Chitra Visweswaran (Padmashree awardee), at the Chidambaram Academy of Performing Arts in Chennai. She continues to receive guidance from her guru. Uma also expanded her dance repertoire by training in Kuchipudi under Sri Jayarama Rao and Smt. Vanashree Rao of Delhi. Beyond dance, Uma is a trained Carnatic vocalist. She received training from Smt. Rajeswari Neelakanthan in Nagpur and later from the late Kalaimamani Pandit Sri. R Visweswaran at the Chidambaram Academy of Performing Arts, specializing in Carnatic Music, Voice Culture, and Dance Music. Following his demise, she continues her Carnatic music training under Sri A S Murali. Her profound knowledge of music significantly enhances her dance performances and complements her skills in choreography and nattuvangam. As a noted soloist, Uma Nambudripad Sathyanarayanan has graced numerous leading sabhas in Chennai and performed at major festivals across India. Her international performances include tours to the UK, USA, Sri Lanka, Singapore, France, UAE, and Australia. She has also ventured into choreography, creating new productions such as an Abhang-based piece on the works of Tukaram and Namdev, and "Pillai Thamizh." She also presented a joint production, "Sakhyam," with Lakshmi Parthasarathy Athreya. Uma is associated with teaching and choreography through her institution, Vishuddhi Arts. Awards & Honours: Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar (2012), Yuva Kala Bharathi, Prizes, Prizes, Dharmaravappu Seetharama Anjaneyulu Endowment Prize, Smt. Vasanthalakshmi and Sri. Narasimhachari Award, Nrithya Sundaram, Vedantham Sathyanarayanan Sharma Award, Nadanamamani, Sri Yagnaraman Award of excellence, The Best Upcoming Dancer award.