Dancing the Waves

Dr Anita Ratnam, based in Chennai (Madras), India, is highly respected as a performer, writer, speaker and arts entrepreneur and culture mentor. She has been described as an “intersectionist”, whose work weaves the many disciplines of dance, theatre, spoken word, ritual, archaeology, dramaturgy and women’s issues. For over 40 years, her distinguished career has witnessed over 1300 performances in 37 countries. Her formal training in Bharata Natyam, Mohiniattam, and Kathakali has given Dr.Ratnam a distinctive movement vocabulary that she has named Neo Bharatam – a contemporary Indian kinetic situated on a mature body. Using voice, singing, Vedic hymns, drumming, contemporary mythology and devised movements, her acclaimed choreographies include Gajaanana, Daughters of the Ocean, Seven Graces, Ma3ka, A Million Sitas, Neelam, Stone and Naachiyar Next.

A PhD in Women’s Studies, Anita was awarded the Presidential Medal in 2016 for her contribution to Contemporary Dance in India. She has served as a distinguished member of several Cultural Committees and convened numerous arts festivals and performance conclaves

In 2016 she also received the first International Arts Award – Vishwa Kala Ratna – by UK-based Indian Arts Development Tryst, MilapFest. The award, was conferred on Anita for her sterling contribution towards NARTHAKI.COM, a 19-year-old dance portal that has been chronicling, commenting and critiquing the many worlds of Indian dance practice, performance and presentation across the world.

Brinda Jacob-Janvrin a movement-based expressive arts therapist and a contemporary dancer/choreographer with more than 25 years of performing experience. A qualified counsellor, she has been working extensively with movement and arts therapies since 2003. A practitioner and facilitator for Authentic Movement and Natural Dreamwork, Brinda is passionate about the arts, the mysterious workings of the Psyche-Soma and connections between the Body and Earth.

Brinda is the founder and managing trustee of the Studio for Movement Arts and Therapies Trust

Being raised in a cultural environment replete with the influences of art, music, and literature, Shridhara was initiated into Yakshagana in early childhood by his grandfather Late Keremane Shambhu Hegde and is a 6th generation traditional performing artist of Keremane lineage. Since then, he has been learning under his Father Keremane Shivananda Hegde and performing all over India with his artists’ troupe, Mela. He did his Bachelor’s in Science and has worked in several distinguished scientific research institutes of the country. He learnt Kathak under the guidance of Guru Dr. Maya Rao and is a third-generation student of Diploma in Choreography from NIKC, Bangalore which gave him new perspectives for direction and choreography of his own art form. He has been involved in conducting numerable socio-cultural activities (like national Performing art festival, programs for school children, Gurukula, dance music research etc) alongside Yakshagana performances all over the country. He received a Scholarship for Young Artists by the Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India and is one among the selected 15 upcoming cultural entrepreneurs from all over South Asia under “Art Think South Asia Fellowship (ATSA)” in 2019 supported by British Council and Goethe Institute.

His other interests include Indology, Performance Studies, and Cultural anthropology, Cognitive Science, Language, Logic and Literature.

Dr. Krishna Seshadri is an Endocrinologist and practices at Apollo Specialty Hospital in Vanagaram, Chennai. He is an American Board Certified Endocrinology Diabetes & Metabolism Senior Consultant.

With several publications and numerous papers to his credit, he is a member of many organizations and an orator par excellence.

Choreographer, Mentor, Kathak, Contemporary Dancer and Artpreneur Madhu Nataraj birthed Bangalore’s first contemporary Indian Dance company- STEM Dance Kampni in 1995. She is a state and national awardee and has toured over 36 countries with the Kampni.

Madhu believes in the limitless possibilities of Dance as a catalyst for transformation and healing and through the verticals of training, performance and outreach works in the realms of education, creativity, empowerment and more.
She is the Director of Natya Institute of Kathak & Choreography, started by Dr Maya Rao and Kamala Devi Chattopadhyay.

Grammy® Award Winner & US Billboard #1 artist, GQ Hero 2020, Ricky Kej is an internationally renowned Indian Music Composer and Environmentalist. He has performed at prestigious venues in over 30 countries, including at the United Nations Headquarters in New York and Geneva. Ricky has won more than 100 music awards in over 20 countries. He has been Awarded “United Nations Global Humanitarian Artist” and is also the “Youth Icon of India”. Ricky has been named as one of the 100 Real Leaders who ‘Inspire the Future’. He is the UNESCO mgiep “Global Ambassador for Kindness”, UNCCD “Land Ambassador”, UNICEF “Celebrity Supporter” & Ambassador for “Earth Day Network”

Shoba Narayan is the author of five books. She has been a journalist and columnist for over 30 years, writing about dance, music, the arts, travel, food and culture for global publications, winning a James Beard award and Pulitzer Fellowship. She is a failed bharatanatyam dancer and an avid rasika of the performing arts, most especially dance. Her lifelong mission is to get fit without exercising and lose weight without dieting.

Sudeepta Shanbhag is a yoga practitioner and teacher with a background in Electronics and Biomechanical Engineering. She has trained in various movement forms over the years. Firmly believing in “yoga is for everyone”, she has worked with different groups and collaborated with various organizations to design yoga program to enhance, complement and support their endeavours.

Some of her projects have been with Special Needs schools – ASHA and Tamahar, Natya Institute and STEM dance Kampni, Chilume, a Steiner school in Bangalore and Samiksha Foundation in the Kidwai Cancer institute, Bangalore