Amongst the younger generation of dancers, Prakriti combines in her pursuit of the art, a rare blend of an elegant performer, meticulous teacher, imaginative choreographer, accomplished nattuvanaar & a prolific writer. Prakriti holds a Masters Degree in Fine Arts & is a National Scholar. A senior disciple of rhythm wizard Kalaimamani Talavidwan Shri T.S. Kadhirvellu Pillai, Prakriti specializes in rhythmic choreography & nattuvangam (the art of playing the cymbals). She is also trained under Padmashree Guru Adyar K. Lakshman, an internationally acclaimed teacher & choreographer. Her meticulous training under both these stalwarts helped her evolve into a mature artiste with a highly creative mind & sensitivity. Her versatility also finds expression in her passion for an equally challenging & dynamically contrasting dance-form Mohini Attam. She has been pursuing it over the last 6 years under the guidance of Guru Udyogamandala Vikraman in Mumbai & Dr. Neena Prasad at Tiruvananthapuram.Brilliant technique, coupled with a dignified stage-presence & natural grace are the hallmark of her dance, while aesthetic taste & penchant for perfection lend an ethereal quality to her choreographic work. Her choreographic productions have won her high critical acclaim for innovative interpretation of themes & aesthetically sleek presentations. She has along with her dance repertory “NRTYAMANDALA Dance Ensemble” performed at all major dance festivals such as the Natyanjali Festival, Chidambaram, Uday Shankar Dance Festival, Kolkata, Konark Dance & Music Festival, Konark etc. Her workshops & insights on 'the aesthetics & mathematics of rhythm' have been widely appreciated & she has been invited by prestigious institutes across the country to share her work with serious students of dance, which includes the world-renowned KALAKSHETRA College of Fine Arts, Chennai. In 2007, she has been awarded the prestigious ‘senior fellowship’ by the Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India for her research work on “Cross-rhythm Choreography & Nattuvangam”. Carrying forth her guru's legacy, she has been zealously training students for over two decades at Shiladhish Art & research Institute hoping to create a next generation of committed artistes.
