Bharatanatyam exponent Saroja Vaidyanathan dies at 86
National
Saroja Vaidyanathan (19 September 1937 – 21 September 2023) was an Indian choreographer, guru, and notable proponent of Bharatanatyam.she was conferred the Padma Shri in 2002 and the Padma Bhushan in 2013 by the Government of India.Vaidyanathan gave up dancing after her marriage, following conservative and adverse reactions to her performing in public venues and took instead to teaching children dance at home. Following her husband's transfer to Delhi in 1972, she established the Ganesa Natyalaya there in 1974. She was monetarily supported by well wishers and sponsors and the building for the Natyalaya was built at the Qutab Institutional Area in 1988. Besides the dance itself, students at the Ganesa Natyalaya are also taught Tamil, Hindi, and Carnatic vocal music to give them a holistic understanding of Bharatanatyam.
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