Dr. Swarnamalya | |
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![]() Swarnamalya in 2024 | |
Born | |
Education | San Jose State University (B.A.), Madras University (M.A., Ph.D) |
Occupations |
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Years active | 2000–present |
Works | Full list |
Spouse | Arjun Rajaraman (m. 2002;div. 2004) |
Swarnamalya Ganesh is an Indian dancer, Professor, Actress, and TV anchor. She received the award "Yuvakala Bharat" at the age of 17. Her first major role in television was on the Sun TV show Ilamai Pudhumai and then went on to do a number of films in the Tamil language.
Ganesh started performing onstage from age 12, when she did her arangetram in the presence of Avvai Natarajan and Padma Subrahmanyam. Apart from dancing in sabhas of India such as the Narada Gana Sabha, Krishna Gana Sabha and the Vishaka Music Academy, she has performed in other festivals such as the India International centre, New Delhi, Modhera Sun Temple festival, the Henry Martin peace festival, Kochi Biennale, Serendipity Arts Festival and Faiz Festival, Lahore. She learnt from Guru Kalaimamani K. J. Sarasa and later trained under the Thiruvalaputhur Kalyani Grand Daughters, Gopalakrishna Nattuvanar and Viralimalai Muthukannamal.
Ganesh's doctoral work was The research and reconstruction of lost repertoires of the Nayaka Period in Early Modern South India. She has created a performance-exhibition-lecture series titled From The Attic aimed at journeying through the past performing practices, invoking multicultural memories of Sadir (Bharatanatyam). This series opens with Stories from the Attic, a lecture on the dance histories and contexts of Early Modern Era. Beholding the Attic is a special travelling exhibition curated to showcase rare sculptures, murals, scripts, costumes and photographs of courtesans of the 16th–20th centuries. The performance of From The Attic features repertoires like Mukhacali, Jakkini (Persianite influenced dance), Perani (A five act theatrical repertoire), Gondali (Marathi influenced), oriental padams (Works of Ruth. St. Denis, Ted Shawn, Ester Sherman and others).
Nayaka repertoires reconstructed by her:
She made her film debut through Maniratnam's Alaipayuthey , where she played the role of Shalini's elder sister Poorni.
She did only a few high-profile films such as Manobala's Naan Paata Ninepaethellam opposite Ramesh Aravind, a remake of the Hindi film Abhimaan (1973). Later she played second lead female roles in Mozhi (2007) and Engal Anna (2004).
Year | Film | Role | Language | Notes |
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2000 | Alaipayuthey | Poorni | Tamil | Debut film |
2004 | Engal Anna | Parvathy | Tamil | |
2005 | Geeya Geeya | Swarna | Kannada | |
2006 | Yuga | Bhanu | Tamil | |
Ennittum | Sujee | Malayalam | ||
2007 | Mozhi | Angeline Sheela | Tamil | Nominated : Vijay Award for Best Supporting Actress |
Periyar | Thanjavur dancer | Tamil | ||
2008 | Azhagu Nilayam | S. P. Rajakumari | Tamil | |
Velli Thirai | Herself | Tamil | Cameo appearance | |
Kerala Police | Nandhini Varma | Malayalam | ||
2011 | Sankarankovil | Shenbagam | Tamil | |
2014 | Inga Enna Solluthu | Subha | Tamil | |
Pulivaal | Bindhu | Tamil | ||
She began as a television anchor in Sun TV's show Illamai Pudumai. She also was the anchor of Vijay TV's Kalakka Povadhu Yaaru Part 2. She has also done Anbulla Sneghithi. After this, she also acted in Bharathiraja's Thekkathu Ponnu, Jaya TV's Vandhaale Maharasi, Revathi's Yaathumaagi Nindraal and also played a guest role in Sun TV's Thangam .
Sun TV, Vijay TV, Raj TV, Kalaignar TV, K TV, Sakti TV (Colombo), Vasantam Central (Malaysia)
Title | Role | Language | Notes |
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Illamai Pudumai | Anchor | Tamil | Sun TV's show |
Kalakka Povadhu Yaaru Part 2 | Anchor | Tamil | Vijay TV's show |
Kudumba Thirai Pudhir | Anchor | Tamil | Kalaignar TV's show |
Anbulla Sneghithi | Actress | Tamil | TV Serial |
Nimmathi Ungal Choice | Actress | Tamil | TV Serial as Shanthi |
Thekkathu Ponnu | Actress | Tamil | TV Serial |
Punnagi | Actress | Tamil | TV Serial |
Minsara Poove | Actress | Tamil | Vijay TV Serial |
Vandhaale Maharasi | Actress | Tamil | Jaya TV's TV Serial |
Yaathumaagi Nindraai | Actress | Tamil | Zee Tamil's TV Serial |
Thangam | Actress | Tamil | Sun TV's TV Serial as Nagarani |
Chandrikaiyin Kathai | Actress | Tamil | Telefilm as Vishalakshi |
Weekend with Stars (talk show) | Surprise guest | Tamil | Zee Tamil's show |
Vanakkam Tamizha | Guest | Tamil | Sun TV's show |
Manam Thirumbathe | Guest | Tamil | Puthuyugam TV's show |
Beach Girls (Indian TV series) | Guest | Tamil | Raj TV's show |
Varaverpparai | Guest | Tamil | News7 Tamil's show |
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Kalakshetra Foundation, formerly simply Kalakshetra, is an arts and cultural academy dedicated to the preservation of traditional values in Indian art and crafts, especially in the field of Bharatanatyam dance and Gandharvaveda music. Based in Chennai, India, the academy was founded in January 1936 by Rukmini Devi Arundale and her husband George Arundale. Under Arundale's guidance, the institution achieved national and international recognition for its unique style and perfectionism. In 1962, Kalakshetra moved to a new 40-hectre campus in Besant Nagar, Chennai.
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Kshetrayya (Telugu:క్షేత్రయ్య) was a prolific Telugu poet. He lived in the area of Andhra Pradesh in South India. He composed a number of padams and keertanas, the prevalent formats of his time. He is credited with more than 4000 compositions, although only a handful have survived. He composed his songs on his favourite deity Krishna (Gopala) in Telugu.
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