ABOUT GURU KANAKA SUDHAKAR

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Kanaka Sudhakar, a renowned artiste of Bharatanatyam & Kuchipudi, is a Dansuese, Teacher, Mentor, Choreographer, Researcher, Story-teller and Writer.

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A disciple of legendary Dhananjayans- Madras and Late Guru Sadasivan in Bharatanatyam, of Guru Seetha Nagajothi in Kuchipudi & Guru Kalanidhi Narayanan in Abhinaya, Kanaka Sudhakar has carved a niche for herself in the Dance World.

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FOUNDER PRESIDENT, S.U.N.A.INA

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A passionate social worker, Kanaka Sudhakar founded SUNAINA, with other like minded people, in 1994, which has now three wings- NRITYABHARATI (DANCER TRAINING WING), Kala Khoj (research section and BMSCAC (educational wing). Kanaka's vision of 'ART FOR ALL' & 'WOMEN EMPOWERMENT THROUGH ARTS' has led to relentless service for more than twenty years through S.U.N.A.INA

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ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, NRITYABHARATI

She established NRITYABHARATI, an institute for Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi, even before she founded S.U.N.A.INA, in 1985. Her sole aim is the propagation of the classical dance forms of India to the masses where talent abounds. More than 70 students of  Nrityabharati have performed their Arangetram under Smt. Kanaka Sudhakar, and are now budding into full-fledged artistes. She has upto now personally trained more than 1000 students to perfect and understand the nuances of this art form. 8 of her senior disciples are Graded Doordarshan Artistes.  She trains students to master the art form from every aspect like performance, teaching, theory and music. About 15 students of Kanaka are scholarship holders. One of students is also ICCR empaneled and another is on ICCR empanelment for teaching assignment at Bali.

She was given the excellent teachers’ award by Lions’ Club Delhi IN 1995.  The Finance Minister P. Chidambaram along with other art exponents honored her at the  Delhi Tamil Sangam. She was also awarded the Nritya Jyoti award by Asthika Samajam Delhi, Konark Life Time Achievement Award etc. She has been awarded the National Swami Vivekananda Award by Ramakrishna Mission for 2011 and the Bharath Excellence  Award by IFA for 2012. She has also been awarded the Fellowship from the Ministry of Culture 2000.

Smt. Kanaka Sudhakar has given a number of performances in Delhi, Madras, Madurai, For UNESCO in France, Bhavalaya- Muskat , Oman, Kolkata, Debadhara festival , Delhi etc. She, being keenly interested in spreading and popularizing the art form to the grass root level, has given more than a hundred performances for the Song and Drama Division I&B Ministry, where she had the opportunity of presenting items of social reform and social problems through Bharatanatyam like Nasha hi Nasha (prohibition), Mein Vivek Mein Disha (AIDS Awareness) programs on anti terrorism, national integration etc.

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RESEARCH WORK

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RESEARCH: Smt. Kanaka Sudhakar has performed the unique research on the Therapeutic and Beneficial Effects of Indian Classical dances on the development of a child. After seven years of research under the guidance of her late father in law, Shri L. Ramachandran, (A nature cure specialist who had presided over technical session of the All India Nature Cure Conference), Dr Raman Kapoor (accupressure specialist, Dr. Pasi (Child Psychiatrist) etc. she came out with her first Book ‘ Indian Classical Dances – The Therapeutic Advantages’ which was published by Sterling Publishers in 1994, and released by the Sahitya Kala Parishad at the Triveni Kala Sangam. Her work was lauded by all critics who praised it as
outstanding. She gave many lecture demonstrations in cultural and education institutions like IGNCA (twice), IIC, India Habitat Centre, Narada Gana Sabha, Doordarshan, DTS, Hyderabad University, etc in schools like St. Cecilias, Blue Bells, Bal Bharati School, at Mata Jai Kaur Public School for Spic Macay with Shanta Sarabjeet Singh  etc. She founded a new system ‘Yogic Aerobics – a system based on classical dance movements to benefit the middle aged. She gave programs for the 1-hour live show on this system. HRD Dept of Tourism and culture then awarded her Junior Fellowship for further research in 2000. Under the guidance of Dr. Avinash Kulkarni (Child Specialist), Dr. Sandhya Bose (From IGIPESS), Dr. S.K. Das (from DHS) she worked with 18 students each of control group and experimental group and competed her second part of the research taking 21 parameters. She has dealt with both the short and long enduring benefits of the art.

She has given demonstrations all over Delhi –S.K.P., ICCR. IGNCA.  DOORDARSHAN, IIC INDIA HABITAT CENTRE ETC.
Her lecture demonstrations have been widely appreciated and covered by all the leading newspapers and critics. Smt Kanaka Sudhakar is now working on further research in the field of Hormonal changes in a dancer learning Indian Classical dances. She has formulated the Yogic Aerobics based on the nritta movements of Indian Classical Dance for the benefit of Middle aged ladies.

She has recently released 2 DVDs . The first one is NRITTAM, an understanding of Bharatanatyam adavus and YOGIC AEROBICS​