Anita Ratnam

Ratnam began learning dance at the age of three and received her informal training from Raji Narayan, a family friend and dance teacher.^[4] She has stated that her mother, who had been unable to pursue dance herself, encouraged her daughter's involvement in the art from an early age.^[4]

Ratnam had her Arangetram (dance) at the age nine^[4] and later continued her formal training under Bharatanatyam guru, Adyar K. Lakshman.^[5] She subsequently attended Rukmini Devi Arundale's 'Kalakshetra' for advanced training, where she earned a Post graduate diploma in Dance. She trained in Bharatanatyam as well as Kathakali and Mohiniattam, the classical dances of Kerala.^{[6] [better source needed]}

In 1976, Ratnam moved to the United States to pursue a Master's degree in theater and television at the University of New Orleans.^[4] She subsequently worked as a television producer/commentator, during which she produced weekly a Saturday morning programme featuring indian news, travel and cultural content.^[4]

She set up Arangham Trust in 1992 in Chennai, followed by Arangham Dance Theatre, a performance company in 1993.^[7][8] Ratnam incorporates elements of Indian classical and contemporary performance traditions, and characterized her artistic approach as "Neo Bharatam" and has referred to herself as a "contemporary classicist".^[9] Ratnam has served on cultural organizations and advisory bodies related to the arts in India.^[10].

Ratnam has organized festivals and performance platforms featuring both her own work and that of other artists.^[10] Drawing on her experiences as a television producer in New York, she expanded her activities into dance production and the presentation of the contemporary and experimental works.^[10] Her contributions have also included festival curation, arts production, conference organization, and service on cultural advisory panels.^[10] Ratnam has stated that curiosity has been a driving force behind her diverse activities in the arts and cultural sector.^[10] Ratnam has also emphasized training in production, technical aspects, theater and professional skills alongside choreography and performance.^[10] She has described this multidisciplinary approach as a 360 -degree cultural ecosystem.^[10]

Upon her return to India in 1990, Ratnam compiled a directory containing the contact information of more than 1000 dancers.^[4] Initially published as a printed directory with approximately with a thousand entries related to Indian classical dance, it was expanded in 1997 with an additional 2000 listings. In 2000, the project transitioned to an online platform, providing information on Indian Dance, dancers, institutions, and related activities.^[11][12][13] The initiative was created to facilitate the connections between dancers and event organizers and improve access to information about Indian performing artists.^[4] Narthaki has been listed by the New York Public Library as a resource for information on Indian dance.^[14][15][16] Narthaki expanded its activities to include digital dance productions, curation of dance festivals and related media initiatives.^[17]

Ratnam has stated that the term "Neo Bharatam" emerged in 1999 after she watched the film The Matrix and identified with the character Neo, portrayed by Keanu Reeves.^[4] She has explained that the concept reflected her training across multiple artistic disciplines and her interest in developing an approach that extended beyond conventional boundaries.^[4]

Drawing on her training in Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Tai chi, Kalaripayattu, and Yoga, Ratnam developed "Neo Bharatam", a movement that combines elements of these disciplines for contemporary performance and storytelling.^[4] Ratnam stated that her work emerged from desire to move beyond traditional dance narratives, particularly representations of women in classical literature.^[4] She has described her performances as focusing on stronger female perspectives and themes related to woman's experiences and agency.^[18] She has said that she persisted in exploring themes of gender and resistance through her work, citing the Tamil Saint Poet Andal as an example of female defiance.^[4]

• A Map to the Next World (1997), With Native American poet Joy Harjo
• Inner World (1998); with Pangea World Theatre in Minneapolis
• Daughters of the Ocean (1999); with writer Shobita Punja
• Dust (2002), with Mark Taylor of Dance Alloy, Pittsburgh, USA.^[19]
• Hyphenated (2002), for Toronto's Lata Pada.
• Seven Graces (2005), with Canada-based Hari Krishnan
• Vortext (2006), with Canadian dance artist Peter Chin
• MA3KA (2009).^[20][21]
• Andal Andal^[22]
• Naachiyar Next^[23]
• A Million Sitas^[24]

• Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2016) by Sangeet Natak Akademi for contemporary dance^[25]
• Vishwa Kala Ratna by Milapfest, UK^[26]