Current convenor: Rama Vaidyanathan

Natya Kala Conference 2019: Convenor Rama Vaidyanathan is one of the foremost Bharatanatyam dancers of her generation. She trained intensively under the legendary dancer, Yamini Krishnamurthy and the celebrated Guru Saroja Vaidyanathan. In a performance career spanning more than 30 years, Rama has developed her own individual style without forsaking the core principles of her dance form. Having performed at every major dance venues of the world, she has been bestowed with several titles that include the Kalaimamani by the Government of Tamil Nadu, Kalashree by the Government of Kerala and the Kumar Gandharv Puraskar from the Madhya Pradesh Government as well as the Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar, just to name a few. As Director of the Ganesa Natyalaya, New Delhi, Rama has been actively engaged in teaching for more than twenty five years. She balances a hectic performance schedule while conducting workshops and master classes all over the world, inspiring a whole generation of dancers.

Natya Kala Conference 2019: Focus

This year’s Natya Kala Conference titled NirIkshaNa (Bharatanatyam: Under the Magnifying Glass), seeks to examine, probe and assess Bharatanatyam as it is today. The Conference is a detailed exploration and investigation of this classical dance form and the many transitions it gone through over the years along with a deliberate attempt to consider contributions and inclusions that can be made to its already existing, dynamic and magnificent process of continuity. How can we – artistes, curators, scholars, cultural commentators, critics, and rasikas – collectively and collaboratively attempt to reach higher levels of excellence by celebrating this tradition and embracing its natural progression. Through a series of dialogues and discussions, the Conference aims to address some pressing issues that concern and pregnant the world of Bharatanatyam today.