Guru Smt. Padmini Radhakrishnan, an accomplished dancer herself, is a distinguished disciple of Guru Smt. Rajalakshmi Venkateshwar and descends the dance style of Padmashri Guru Late K.N Dandayudapani Pillai. She is the Founder-Director of the dance institute “Soundarya Natya Kalalaya”, Mumbai. She has been running this institution successfully for the past 26 years with several branches in and around Mumbai and in the United States.

She has to her credit over 200 stage performances. She has also performed for Doordarshan. Her students boast of over 400 performances in India, Malaysia, Middle East and USA. Well known as a multi-faceted personality, she is also a proficient singer and holds a diploma in Carnatic Music from the University Of Mumbai.

Apart from being a gifted dancer and a choreographer, Guru Smt. Padmini Radhakrishnan also possesses the rare talent of singing and doing nattuvangam (verbal incantations of the rhythmical patterns of footwork) for all of her students’ performances.

Guru Smt. Padmini Radhakrishnan has several titles to her credit. She was honored with the Nritya Shiksha Choodamani by Shri V Ranganathan, IAS, Chief Secretary, Government of Maharashtra, in February 2001 at Mumbai. She was conferred with the title of Nritya Kala Sagar by the Nateshwar Nritya Kala Mandir, Mumbai, on June 13, 2004. She was given the title of Suthandira Berigai by the Bharati Kala Mantram, Mumbai on August 14, 2004. She was the recipient of Samaj Shakti Award for the year 2005 instituted by HariHara Putra Samaj. The Shivali cultural society of India presented her with the title of Shivali Nritya Shiromani on September 21, 2005. And last but by no means the least, she was conferred with the title of Bodhaga Kala Vipanchee on December 30, 2005 by the great musician, Dr. Balamurali Krishna.

For more details about the Guru and the institute, visit www.padminir.com