Sunanda Nair Explained

Sunanda Nair
Birth Place:Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Education:University of Mumbai (PhD)
Occupation:Founder/Director, Sunanda's Performing Arts Center

Sunanda Nair is an Indian dancer trained in Mohiniattam. She did her master's degree in this dance form from Nalanda Nritya Kala Mahavidyalaya affiliated to the University of Mumbai. She has completed her PhD from University of Mumbai for her thesis "Intrinsic Lyrical Feminism in Mohiniattam" . She was born in Mumbai, India.[1]

Early life and education

Nair took her initial training in Bharatanatyam at age six. She studied in Kathakali under Kalamandalam Krishnankutty Warrier.

Nair is a disciple of noted Mohiniattam exponent Kanak Rele, credited for the revival and popularisation of this classical Kerala dance style.

Nair was the first student to earn a master's degree in Mohiniattam. She was a student of Nalanda Nritya Kala Mahavidyalay at the University of Mumbai where she completed her Master's. She completed a seven-year course in five years. The institution is the closest to the guru Kula Sampradaya.

She has a bachelor's degree in commerce from University of Mumbai,  Bachelors & Masters in Performing Arts, from University of Mumbai.   She also holds a PhD in dance from University of Mumbai - Research thesis in Mohiniattam titled "The Intrinsic Lyrical Feminism in Mohiniattam"

Career

After graduating, she joined the staff at Nalanda and was a lecturer at her alma mater for nine years until 1999. She passed her Net exam, a UGC requirement to continue teaching at Nalanda.

She has given many performances.

She studied from masters like Kalaimamani Kadirvelu, Kalaimamani Mahalingam Pillai, T.V.Sounderajan, Dipak Majumdar, and Tejiswini Rao in Kattumanar Muthukumar Pillai's bani.

In 1980, while in high school, she started the Srutilaya Institute of Fine Arts which trains students in both Mohiniattam and Bharatanatyam.

SPARC is now in its 10th year of operation in the US. At SPARC, the rich tradition of Indian Classical Dance is passed to new dancers.

Performances

Recognition

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Srikanth. Rupa. 27 December 2018. Sunanda Nair shows the essence of the 'Nalanda Bani'. en-IN. The Hindu. 18 March 2021. 0971-751X.
  2. Web site: Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award: Dance. Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala. 26 February 2023.