| Chitra Visweswaran is one of the leading
Bharatanatyam dancers in India today - her name has become synonymous with
this Southern style of Indian Classical Dance. Trained from a very young
age in the pristine purity of this traditional dance style, she has harnessedto
it an intellectual quest and aesthetic sensibility which make an individualistic
contribution to the genre of Classical Indian Dance.
Still at her peak, nationally and internationally
traveled, and reputed as a performer- teacher- choreographer, she runs
her institution of dance, " CHIDAMBARAM " at Chennai, where her disciples
are given holistic training in classical dance and music. Her husband R.Visweswaran
(nephew of the legendary Carnatic musician, G.N.Balasubramanian and
disciple of Santoor maestro Pandi Shivkumar Sharma ) is a Carnatic
vocalist-composer. They have together made the pursuit and dissemination
of Indian Dance and Music, a way of life.
In recognition of her contribution to
Bharatanatyam, the Government of Tamilnadu has conferred the title, "Kalaimamani
" upon her. She was given the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi award
in 1987 and was conferred the " Padma Shri " by the President of India
in 1992.
Chitra has recently been invited to
occupy the Rabindarnath Tagore Chair of Fine Arts in the University of
Madras and is the first dancer to do so. |
