<p>What does it take to be slender, graceful and radiating positivity at eighty? Ask Guru Radha Sridhar and she may simply attribute it to an active lifestyle.</p>

- Srilatha Krishna

But behind such simplicity is a hard-working woman who has built a virtual empire of Bharatanatyam in Bengaluru. As the director of Venkatesha Natya Mandira, which turns fifty this year, she has trained hundreds of dancers. Widely acknowledged for her choreography, she has been feted with numerous awards and titles for her commitment to the art form.

Where did it all begin? Even as a child, Radha seems to have displayed a flair for nritta and abhinaya. She started with Kathak lessons, but soon switched to Bharatanatyam under the guidance of H.R. Keshava Murthy. Interestingly, when it was time to get married, she made her continued pursuit of dance a condition for marriage— a bold stand for a young woman in those days!

After her marriage, she continued her dance education for around a decade with the famous dancing duo U.S. Krishna Rao and Chandrabhaga Devi. But with growing family responsibilities, Radha decided it would be easier to learn from Muthaiah Pillai who stayed closer to her home. Muthaiah, son of Pandanallur Meenakshisundaram Pillai, was a talented singer, violinist and nattuvanar. From him, she learnt the technical aspects of the art of nattuvangam. As her confidence grew, she decided to start a dance school herself. With the blessings of her gurus, she established Venkatesha Natya Mandira in 1969.

Radha reveals that even after such thorough training, she never had a formal a

This story is from the October 2018 edition of Sruti.

Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Already a subscriber? Sign In