As a dance teacher, choreographer
Dr. Padmini Shreedhar is the artistic director of Nritya Gaana Academy for performing arts, Rajarajeshwarinagar, Bengaluru. Since 2003, has trained and created an awareness in Bharathanatyam amongst young girls, out of whom many of them are competent performers and are continuing to learn under her. Her academy is a well-known institution in Bengaluru and is invited to present performances in prestigious festivals. A competent dance teacher, Padmini Sreedhar's disciples have passed dance exams conducted by the state board with distinction, every consecutive year since 2008. Her dance choreographies have been well received and appreciated for its classicism, tradition and presentation. Her research-based performances have taken her to Chennai, Baroda and Varanasi.
Padmini as an organizer and curator
Presently the Treasurer of Rajarajeshwarinagar cultural association. Dr.Padmini has served the association as its joint secretary for over 13 years and as its secretary since 2015. Presently the treasurer and the editor of the monthly newsletter of the association. She curates the Nritya Jahnavi annual classical dance festival (since 2007) and has brought class performances of accomplished artistes for the residents of RR Nagar for the past 15 years. She is part of the working committee of committed individuals striving to conduct the grand Sree Ramanavami Sangeetotsava year after year since 2002. World-class musicians are invited to perform by the non-profit organization, only through sincere fund-drives and relentlessly acquired sponsorships. Through Rajarajeshwarinagar cultural association, Dr.Padmini conducts competitions on Children’s day for the schools in and around RRnagar and has been instrumental in conducting the International Women’s day competitions for the Women of RRnagar
Recognitions and awards
She is the recipient of awards - the coveted ‘Singaramani’ award, Sur Singar Samsad, (Mumbai -1989); ISKCON appreciation award (2003, 2004); Bharatha prashasthi’ (Udupi-2016) and Nritya Nidhi (2018) Udupi. She has been featured in the prestigious ‘Ananya’ Kalasinchana, Art journal and Mangala magazine as the dance icon.
As a Home-maker
Dr.Padmini Shreedhar is happily married to Dr. N.K. Shreedhar, a well- known, successful Consultant Radiologist, and a sought after Radiologist for Fetal Ultrasound and Colour-Doppler in Bangalore. Her In-laws have had a comfortable life with utmost care at home, both into their early and late nineties. Dr. Padmini is blessed with two extremely talented children Dr. Anirudh Shreedhar, an epidemiologist at Boston USA and daughter Ar. Aditi Shreedhar, an architect pursuing masters in urban design at the prestigious Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburg, USA. Both are artistically inclined with appreciation of music and Aditi is an upcoming accomplished Bharathanatyam dancer. Having stepped into the second half of her blessed life, Dr.Padmini looks forward to contribute to the rich classical arts heritage of Karnataka in various capacities personally and in academics at the Jain University. She believes in striving to make Rajarajeshwarinagar, a well-known cultural hub of Bengaluru.
Research & Thesis
• Annamalai University – Chidambaram 7th February 2018
Title- “Karnataka Nritya Parampara – Origin, Development and Transition into the 21st century.” ISBN 978-81-924599-8-1
• Banaras Hindu University – Global folk traditions and innovations –October 3rd to 6th 2018 (paper is selected for seminar proceedinds). “Inter-relationship between ‘lok’ and ‘Shastra’-folk and classical traditions” ISBN 978-93-5346-887-3
• Maharaja Sayaji Rao University, Baroda – Seminar on Dance and Allied arts. January 5th 2019 to January 7th 2019 Title- “Importance of Ancient Treatises/Texts/Manuals in The Present Perspective ISBN 978-81-939778-0-4
• Mudras in Bharathanatyam: National Heritage Trust, Pondicherry February 29th 2020 “Aesthetic Conjuntion of Hasta Abhinaya and Padartha Abhinaya- With Special Reference to The Mysore School of Bharathanayam.” (Kolar Parampara) ISBN 978-81-920060-5-5
• Chronicle of humanities and cultural Studies-Journal “The Devadasis, Their Unique Nomenclature with Socio-Cultural Responsibility Through Historicity” May 2020 ISSN 2454-5503
• IOSR Journal published in February 2021 “An Exposition of the Performance Repertoire of the Mysore School of Bharathanatya- A Historical Perspective (1700 To 1930 A.D.).” ISSN publication VOLUME 26, ISSUE 3, SERIES 2. 12-15 E-ISSN: 2279-0837, P-ISSN: 2279-
0845.
• Desa Kala –Emerging trends in Performing arts and Indic studies September 2021 Title- “Thaya – a pre-modern era musical form – with special reference to its adaptation into the classical dance tradition of Karnataka”- ISBN 978-1-387-53795-2
• Sastra- July 2022 – “Karnataka Nṛtya Paramparā (Mysore School of Bharatanātya) - Transition in Tradition Post Resurrection (1940 -1990)” Journal of the University of Silicon Andhra, California.USA
• “Karnataka nrutya parampara- Historicity and Contemporan-eous practicing traditions” –
Ananya annual edition 2022.
• “Kaḷāsa – its dynamics and aesthetic dilineation in accordance to the textual traditions of the medieval to modern period” Ananya Kalasinchana digital edition Dec 2022.
https://ananyabengaluru.com/ka%e1%b8%b7asa-a-desi-classical-dance-tradition- of-the-medieval-period
• “An aesthetic conjunction of lakshya and lakṣaṇa- with special reference to ‘suḷādi’ and sangeetha darpana of damodara pandita of 16th century A.D” Madras Music academy journal 2022 ISSN-0970-3101