Priyadarsini Govind is one of the foremost Bharatanatyam dancers among the current generation. Trained by two stalwarts, Kalaimamani S.K. Rajarathnam Pillai and Padma Bhushan Smt. Kalanidhi Naryanan, Priyadarsini has imbibed this art form from the best. With her natural aptitude for abhinaya coupled with her passion and dedication to her art, Priyadarsini has become a flag bearer for Smt. Kalanidhis padam repertoire. Priyadarsinis nritta or pure dance is intense and vigorous. A dancer known for her adherence to tradition, Priyadarsini manages to seamlessly blend new choreography with the traditional, thereby gently redefining the boundaries of Bharatanatyam repertoire.
Priyadarsini gave her maiden performance ('arangetram') in 1974, and since then has been performing in all the major centers in India and abroad. In her career, spanning two decades, Priyadarsini has performed in prestigious venues all over India and the globe.
A graduate in commerce from the University of Madras, Chennai, Priyadarsini holds a diploma in Mass Communication, but Bharatanatyam has been her first love ever since she was six. Priyadarsini has been giving recitals from the age of sixteen, and has performed in numerous sabhas and academies in India and abroad. Priyadarsini also underwent training in Kalaripayattu, the martial art form of Kerala and Nattuvangam from Kalashetra, besides learning to sing and to perform on television.
Shows & Major Performances
Selected to dance at the prestigious Festival of India in Paris, in 1985 at the age of 20, Priyadarsini had several occasions after that to showcase her talent - the Swarna Samaroh, celebrating 50 years of Indian Independence organized by the Sangeet Natak Academy, the Khajuraho Dance Festival, performances at the Narada Gana Sabha, receiving in turn the Vasantha Lakshmi Narsimhachari award from them, besides receiving the Yuva Kala Bharathi from the Bharat Kalachar, Chennai, in the year 2000.