ANURADHA VIKRANTH
Eminent Bharatanatyam and Bharatanrityam Danseuse
and Founder Director of Drishti Art Centre, Bengaluru
Anuradha Vikranth is a renowned Bharatanatyam danseuse of India, known for her creativity, versatility and grace. Her abounding thirst for in-depth knowledge in the field of dance and her consistently enthusiastic commitment as a performing artist have enabled her to blend tradition with innovation and create a niche for herself as an exceptional dancer, an inspiring teacher, a creative choreographer and an able organizer.
Trained in Bharatanatyam by Guru Smt. Nirupama Rajendra and Guru Smt. Narmada, Anuradha Vikranth is a direct disciple of Padma Bhushan Guru Dr Padma Subrahmanyam, under whom Anuradha has undergone intensive training in Karanas and the elements of Natyashastra. She continues her training in Bharatanrityam under the revered Guru.
A commerce graduate from Mount Carmel College, Bengaluru, Anuradha Vikranth holds a Master’s Degree in Bharatanatyam from Sastra University, Tamil Nadu. She is continuing her academic research in the field of dance.
An ‘A’ graded artist of Doordarshan, Anuradha Vikranth is a member of the Academic Council of the Karnataka State Dr Gangubai Hangal Music and Performing Arts University. She is a visiting faculty (Performing Arts) at the Sri Sathya Sai University of Performing Arts. She is the Secretary of the World Dance Alliance–Karnataka Chapter.
Drishti Art Centre: Anuradha Vikranth is the founder and creative director of the dance institute ‘Drishti Art Centre’ located in Sahakarnagar, Bengaluru, established in 2001. She has been imparting training in Bharatanatyam to many aspiring students in Bengaluru. The centre also conducts online Bharatanatyam classes for students all over the world. The Drishti Art Foundation was awarded the National Education Excellence Award 2019 as the Best Classical Dance Training Institute, by the National Press Council of India and the Newspapers Association of Karnataka.
MARGA DRISHTI: An important initiative of Drishti Art Centre is ‘Marga Drishti’ to promote and propagate the rich Marga tradition of the Natyashastra. Here Anuradha Vikranth imparts training in the movement vocabulary of Natyashastra as reconstructed by her Guru Dr Padma Subrahmanyam.
Awards: Anuradha Vikranth has many awards to her credit. She is the recipient of the ‘Nadaprabhu Kempe Gowda State Award-2018’, ‘FLO Woman of the Future Award’ by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce, ‘Kala Arati Ratna’ by Arati Dance Academy- Phoenix USA, ‘Kala Gaurav Puraskar’, ‘Natya Visharade’, ‘Yuva Kalasreshta’ award from the Bangalore Club of Kathakali Arts (BCKA), ‘National Vocational Excellence Award’ in Bharatanatyam, ‘Vyasa Samman’, among others.
Drishti National Dance Festival: Anuradha, with the support and involvement of her husband T. M. Vikranth (Director, Drishti Media) has also established ‘Drishti Art Foundation’ for the promotion and propagation of classical arts. ‘Drishti National Dance Festival’, organised by the Drishti Art Foundation, is a nationally famous event – it has become a benchmark for dance festivals and is one of the most sought after cultural events in India. Nationally and internationally acclaimed artists are invited to perform and share their art in this festival.
Chitra Nritya: Under the guidance of Guru Dr Veena Murthy, Anuradha is one of the very few dancers in Bharatanatyam to perform ‘Chitra Nritya’ wherein the dancer draws pictures with her feet as she dances on coloured powder spread on the dance floor or canvas. In her popular presentation ‘Mayura Sandesha’, Anuradha draws a peacock. In Simhanandini, a lion ‘Simhavahini’ is born from her dance movements with her feet.
Performances: Anuradha Vikranth has given numerous performances on prestigious occasions at major cultural centres in India, USA, Canada, UK and UAE. Her performances have always enthralled art lovers, connoisseurs of dance, and critics from India and abroad. Some of her performances include Khajuraho National Dance Festival at Khajuraho, India dance and music festival – Mahabalipuram, Academy of Music National Dance Festival – Nritya Rangoli, Hampi Utsava – Hampi, Dasara Mahotsava – Mysore, Nitya Nritya National Dance Festival, Arathi Dance festival – Scottsdale theatre, Phoenix, USA, Bengaluru International Arts Festival and many more.
Choreography: Anuradha had the privilege of choreographing ‘Janapada Vaibhava’ with about 1100 artists for the historic Vishwa Kannada Sammelana. She has many brilliantly choreographed dance productions to her credit such as “Aikyam – The supreme union”, “Jayati-Mahati – The pre-eminence of woman”, “Mayura Sandesha – Chitra Nritya”, “Antardhwani – The inner voice”, “Panchajanya – The essence of life” (Mahabharata retold in the form of dance and music, and “Shakti – The power of nine emotions of goddess Durga”.
Workshops, Performances Abroad: Anuradha Vikranth’s passion for teaching and imparting the essence of Indian classical dance to aspiring dancers has taken her to different parts of the world, not only to perform but also to conduct workshops where she teaches students choreography in Bharatanatyam and also trains dancers of all forms/genres in the movement vocabulary of the Natyashastra.
Anuradha was invited to the United Kingdom as a lead choreographer to present her dance production “Mahabharata – The Essence of Life”, a project supported by the Arts Council, England and Earthkala School of Dance, UK.
Other Activities: Anuradha Vikranth was one of the master judges alongside popular Kannada actor Ravichandran and actress Suman Ranganath for the popular dance reality show ‘Thaka Dhimi Tha’ aired in the Colors Kannada channel. Anuradha Vikranth’s TEDx talk ‘How classical dance develops “Mudita”, the art of appreciating others’ was very well-received by artists and art-lovers.
Anuradha’s convictions: She derives utmost satisfaction in supporting in different ways, her students who are passionate and serious about dance. Deserving students are given scholarships. For those passionate about teaching, she conducts teachers’ training programs. She makes some of them faculty at her Drishti Art Centre. She places some students in universities and other educational institutions requiring dance teachers. She also gives projects in choreography to students who show the talent for it. She believes in and practises balancing her family life and her work in dance. Her other interests include travelling, reading and badminton.
Anuradha Vikranth says, “Whatever else they do, everyone should pursue some form of art as art makes one stronger, instilling in one a whole range of moral, social, cultural and spiritual values.”