Swapnasundari
Swapnasundari is among the foremost dancers of India. As an
exponent of Kuchipudi and Bharata Natyam, two of the classical dance styles of
southern India, as a choreographer and as an accomplished vocalist, she has
contributed greatly to the popularity of the classical arts of India both within
the country and abroad.
Swapnasundari was trained in Kuchipudi under the renowned
masters Pasumarthi Seetharamaiah and Vempati Chinna Satyam. Her gurus in Bharata
Natyam include KN Dakshinamurthy, Adyar K Lakshmanan and B Kalyana Sundaram. She
received specialized training in abhinaya from the veteran performer and
teacher, Kalanidhi Narayanan, who is recognized for her mastery over the
histrionic aspect, or characteristic stylized mime, of Indian classical dance.
Apart from her sound knowledge of Carnatic music,
Swapnasundari has also specialized in the art of singing padams with Shrimati
Mukta. This training enables her to lend a distinct character to her dance
rendering of traditional padams.
Swapna's painstaking research into the temple dance
traditions indigenous to the region of Andhra Pradesh has resulted in the
unearthing and reconstruction of a nearly defunct dance genre, Vilasini Natyam.
She has been receiving guidance in this art from Maddula Lakshminarayana.
As the founder director of the Kuchipudi Dance Centre in New
Delhi, she has trained a number of students and produced several ballets. The
Delhi Government's Sahitya Kala Parishad Award is among the many honours that
have been conferred on Swapnasundari for her contribution to the
arts.
