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About Sujatha Mohan

Last Updated on Tuesday, 12 October 2010 07:22 Written by Anish Thursday, 09 September 2010 20:20

Smt. Sujatha Mohan, M.A. M.Phil,Sanskrit Litt. (M.F.A., Ph.D., expected) in BharathaNatyam is one of the senior-most disciples of the world renowned danseuse, choreographer, composer and research scholar Padmabhushan Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam. Smt. Sujatha has completed more than 15 years of formal training and 10 years of teaching in her Guru’s Institution “Nrithyodaya”.

Smt.Sujatha hails from the culturally rich and famous place of Melattur in the district of Thanjavur in the southern Indian state of Tamilnadu. Smt. Sujatha Mohan's maternal uncle has performed in Bhagvata Mela Natakas - one of the famous and oldest Desi dance form and her father was a disciple of vainika Sri.Kalyanakrishna Bhagavathar. Her brothers are performing veena artiste and mridangam artiste.

Smt. Sujatha was formally initiated into dance by her parents at a very young age and since then she has been a devoted student to her guru for more than 30 years. The courses that she has completed at her Guru’s Institute “Nrithyodaya” are “Nritya Pravesika” (4 years Certificate course), “Nritya Visharadha” (4 years Diploma course), “Nritya Sali” (2 years advanced course). This advanced course comprises of practical and theoretical study and application of 108 Karanas (dance units). Further she has also been certified by Dr.Padma Subrahmanyam’s Institute as an accomplished Nattuvangam artist. She has also done teacher’s training for 5 years at “Nrithyodaya” and courses in Angahara and Choreography.

Smt. Sujatha has given innumerable performances in many parts of the world accompanying her Guru Dr.Padma Subrahmanyam. Sujatha’s performances as part of her Guru’s troupe have won her great recognition and appreciation from many eminent persons. She has performed as solo and group artist in “Natyanjali” events at Chidambaram Temple, dance festival at Mahabalipuram, “Soorya” festival in Kerala. She has performed in many of the leading sabhas in Chennai, Bombay, Delhi and Calcutta and in many other states in India. She has toured countries far and wide like Dubai, Kuwait, Bahrain, Greece, Mauritius etc. accompanying her guru Dr.Padma Subrahmanyam.

Smt. Sujatha has actively performed in the Television serial 'Bharatiya Natya Sastra' conceptualized, choreographed and produced by Dr.Padma Subrahmanyam specifically for India’s National Network channel Doordarshan. She has performed in many of her Guru’s Dance ballet productions like “Meenakshi Kalyanam”, “Viralimalai Kuravanji”, “Valli Kalyanam”, “Vande matharam” and “Silappadhikaram”. She has also performed for the Television Corporation of Singapore. Sujatha's dissertation paper for M.Phil. Degree - "Dance from Sanskrit Sources" has been well appreciated by her Guide and Guru.

She has conducted work-shops in Singapore and has also trained students in advanced levels of dance in the United States and Switzerland. She has conducted theory and practical classes in Natyasastra at Gurudwani, KalaSadhanalaya, Sridevi Nrithyalaya, Kalasrishti, etc. and choreographed dance ballets for other Institutions in India and Abroad.

She has also conducted monthly workshop in ‘ABHAI’, an association for Bharathanatyam artistes of India. She is a guest faculty at the Natya Dept. of M.G.R.Janaki College, Chennai and currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Natyasastra. She is also a committee member of Alagappa Performing Arts Academy.

Smt. Sujatha has been conferred the title of “Bharatha Nritya Priya” by the Institution of Nrithyodaya, Chennai and the title of “Padma Bharathi” by Padma Sarangapani Cultural Academy. She has also been awarded the ‘Best Classical Choreographer’ by the Sivaji Foundation, M.A.Academy. She has been awarded the Senior Research Fellowship from Ministry of Culture,Delhi.