Sunanda Nair is a leading exponent of Mohiniyattam or Mohini Attam (an Indian classical dance form) and one of the few performers of this style of dance form. She was born in Mumbai

Mumbai

Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...

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Sunanda is the disciple of noted Mohini Attam exponent Padmashree Dr.(Smt) Kanak Rele

Kanak Rele

Kanak Rele is an Indian dancer and academic who is most famous as an exponent of Mohiniyattom. She is the founder of the Nalanda Dance Research Centre in Mumbai....

, credited for much for the revival and popularisation of this classical dance style of Kerala

Kerala

or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

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Profile

Sunanda had her initial training in Bharatanatyam

Bharatanatyam

Bharata Natyam or Chadhir Attam, is a classical dance form from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, practiced predominantly in modern times by women. The dance is usually accompanied by classical Carnatic music...

 at the age of six and since then has given many performances in this style of dancing. She studied from masters like Kalaimamani Kadirvelu, Kalaimamani Mahalingam Pillai, Guru T.V.Sounderajan, Shri Dipak Majumdar, Smt.Jayashree Nair and presently Smt.Tejiswini Rao in Kattumanar Muthukumar Pillai's bani

Other than Mohini Attam and Bharatnatyam she has also had her initial training in Kathakali

Kathakali

Kathakali is a highly stylized classical Indian dance-drama noted for the attractive make-up of characters, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements presented in tune with the anchor playback music and complementary percussion...

 under Kalamandalam Krishnankutty Warrier and since then has performed important female roles. Sunanda is continuing her training in Kathakali

Kathakali

Kathakali is a highly stylized classical Indian dance-drama noted for the attractive make-up of characters, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements presented in tune with the anchor playback music and complementary percussion...

 under Kalamandalam Gopalakrishnan.

She is the first student to earn a Master's degree in Mohini Attam from Nalanda Nritya Kala Mahavidyalay affiliated to the University of Mumbai. Sunanda is both a professional dancer and a teacher.
She is also the Founder Director of Srutilaya Institute of Fine Arts which has been training students in both Mohini Attam and Bharatanatyam

Bharatanatyam

Bharata Natyam or Chadhir Attam, is a classical dance form from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, practiced predominantly in modern times by women. The dance is usually accompanied by classical Carnatic music...

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Sunanda has also choreographed many dance items in Mohini Attam and Bharatnatyam some of which are

• Flow of the Ganges
• Dashavtar
• Ramayana
• Kumara Sambhavam
• Vasanta
• Parvati Kalyanam

Performances

• Festival of India
  India
  India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
  
   in the former USSR
• Spring Friendship Art Festival in North Korea
• Performances in Middle East, Singapore and U.S.A.
• Khajuraho festival in Madhya Pradesh
• Konark festival in Orissa
• Yuva Mahotsav in Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur
• Nishagandhi, Kerala
  Kerala
  or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
  
   Tourism, Trivandrum
• Kalidas Samaraoh, Ujjain
• Modera Festival, Gujarat
• Mysore Dassera Festival
• Nrityotsava, Central Sangeet Natak Akademi, Bangalore
• Indo-Indonesian Friendship Society
• Vallathol Jayanti,Kerala Kalamandalam
• SAARC Conference, Mumbai
• Sangeeta Sabha, Poona
• Swati Tirunal Sangeet Sabha,Trivandrum
• Chakradhar Samaraoh, Rajasthan Sangeet Natak Akademi
• India International Centre, Apna Utsav, New Delhi
• Krishna Gana Sabha, Bharat Kalachar, Bharatiya Music and Arts, Madras
• The National Centre For Performing Arts, Mumbai
• Haridas Sammelan, Mumbai
• Kal-Ke-Kalakar, Mumbai
• Nitya Nityati And Tanmai Arohanam Festival, Bangalore
• India Habitat Centre, New Delhi
• Shree Chitra Dance Festival, Trivandrum
• Natyanjali Trust, Music Academy, Chennai
• National Festival of Mohini Attam, Nehru Center, Mumbai
• Soorya Parampara dance festival, Trivandrum, Kerala
• India Habitat Center, New Delhi
• Dharini, Cochin, Kerala
• Monsoon Festival Art India, New Delhi
• Raindrops Festival NCPA, Samved Mumbai
• Bharatam, Trichur, Kerala
• Sopanam, Bombay
• Kalakshetram, Bombay
• Asia Pacific Heritage Festival

Awards & recognitions

• A scholarship from Central Sangeet Natak Akademi for advanced training in abhinaya and choreography under her Guru Smt. Kanak Rele
• 'Singar Mani' from the prestigious Sur Singar Samsad, Mumbai
• Nelluvai Nambeeshan Smarak Award for Mohiniattam
• Natya Mayuri Natyanjali Trust , Chennai
• Best Ethnic Classical Arts Award, New Orleans, 2003
• Louisiana State Artist Roster
• Louisiana Touring Directory
• Global Excellence Dance Award, New Orleans
• Presidents Award for Community Service, Indian Assoc of New Orleans

External links

• http://www.boloji.com/dances/00108.htm
• http://www.kairalee.net/kai_pa_sunanda.htm
• http://www.cyberkerala.com/mohiniyattam/index.html
• http://www.hindinest.com/nritya/mohiniattam.htm
• http://www.sunanda-pac.com/
• http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2005/08/12/stories/2005081201190200.htm
• http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2005/07/29/stories/2005072901270200.htm
• http://www.bestofneworleans.com/dispatch/2003-02-11/feat.html
• http://www.rukhminidevikalakshetra.com/UpEveDet.asp?LnkCode=162
• http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2002/12/02/stories/2002120201540300.htm
• http://narthaki.com/mohini/mohn1di.htm