Sudharani Raghupathy is an Indian classical Bharatanatyam dancer and choreographer. She is the author of Laghu Bharatam, a series of 3 handbooks on Bharatanatyam dance. She is the Founder and Trustee of Shree Bharatalaya, Chennai. Sudharani popularised Bharatanatyam through lecture demonstrations.
Education and Career She studied Philosophy and Sociology in the University of Mysore and majored in the World history of dance, Studio arts at the Randolph Macon's Women's College, Virginia, USA in the years 1964-65. She learnt the Martha Graham technique in modern dance from Eleanor Struppa and western music from Elaine St. Vincent. In the field of Bharatanatyam she trained under KP Kittappa Pillai, US Krishna Rao and Mylapore Gowri Ammal. In Carnatic music she was a student under T Chowdiah, Vaggeyakara and Vidwan Madurai N Krishnan.
Awards Sudharani has received Padma Shri in 1981, Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 1984, Kalaimamani in 1981, Sapthagiri Sangeetha Vidwanmani in 1996, Kalashree in 1999, Fellow of Sangeet Natak Akademi in June 2026
Personal Sudharani was born to H L Jagannath and Shakuntala on 21 March 1944 in Pollachi. She was married to Raghupathy until his death in May 2020. Their children are Sidhartha and Anirudha. She is also the great-grand-daughter-in-law of eminent lawyer Sir K S Iyengar who lived in Mylapore in 1923.
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