Biography

    Smitha Rajan is a professional dancer based out of Kochi, Kerala. She is one of India's best and internationally acclaimed Mohiniyattam performers, well-known for the spiritual intensity that she brings to the stage. She hails from a very rich classical tradition, which spans more than three generations. She is the granddaughter of one of India’s finest classical dance performers, (Late) Guru Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair and (Late) Guru Kalamandalam Kallyanikutty Amma. Smitha has been performing for the past four decades with at most adherence to the puritan classical tradition of Mohiniyattam which is well documented by her famous grandmother. Natural learning opportunity Smitha received under her grandparents had laid in her the unique blend of abhinaya (facial expression) and lasya (grace). Smitha got the rare opportunity to extensively travel along with her grandmother, assisting her during her master classes and lecture demonstrations conducted for Mohiniyattam. Her gestures and abhinaya were fine-tuned by the great Krishnan Nair himself which has tuned in her the ability to enact and transform multiple characters in this Ekaaharya (single costume) dance style as a solo performer.  Smitha started learning Bharatanatyam from the age of four, from Smt Kala Vijayan (her aunt, recipient of the Sangeeth Natak Academy Award) and performed her Arangetram in Bharatanatyam at the age of five. Her mother, Smt Sreedevi Rajan (recipient of the Sangeeth Natak Academy Award), a renowned teacher and dancer, taught Smitha her first lessons in Mohiniyattam. Smitha performed her Arangetram in Mohiniyattam at the age of six and also learnt Carnatic music from Professor (Late) Kalyanasundaram for over eight years. She is a member of numerous cultural organisations and associated with many television networks in India and abroad. Well versed in Bharatanatyam, Kathakali and Kuchipudi as well, since her early teens, her main focus has been Mohiniyattam and dedication to the rich heritage handed over to her by her grandmother. Smitha is the artistic director of the institution called Nrithyakshetra (Temple of Dance), based out of St Louis, Missouri. Her students span across Canada, the United States and Western Europe. Smitha’s artistic excellence as a performer and a teacher has been illustrated across the western worlds for the past 15 years. With her wide teaching experience which spans more than three decades, she has numerous students around the globe, many of whom are well-known dancers in individual fields. Her pursuance of excellence in Mohiniyattam had brought to her numerous critical acclaims from well-known critics in NY Times and other prestigious publications<