Anita Ratnam
  
With a career spanning 4 decades and over 1000 performances in 15 countries, Anita Ratnam is one of India's most recognized dance icons. An internationally respected contemporary dance visionary, Ratnam uses her art as a springboard to innovate, experiment, and provoke fresh thought. Her rich repertoire of solo and group performances reflect both her Indian heritage and cross cultural influences. Ratnam has made significant contributions in other fields as choreographer, scholar, television personality and cultural activist.
  
Ratnam is a respected exponent of three Indian classical dance traditions- Bharatanatyam, Mohini Attam and Kathakali. In addition she practices ritual meditation, yoga and Tai Chi for additional strength and flexibility. Not interested in a superficial fusion of styles, Ratnam intelligently combines the kinetic quality of all three styles to create a refreshingly original style of her own-unique, individual, classical and contemporary. She has named this form Neo Bharatam , a reflection of her Asian aesthetic in contemporary performance practice. This singular style flows through all her works and in her philosophy of dance-art.
  
Having done her Master's degree in Theatre and Television from the University of New Orleans, in U.S.A., Ratnam spent ten years as a Television Producer/commentator in New York City with a weekly talk show and several special productions including a weekly series on art, travel and culture in India. The highly acclaimed 'Festival of India' TV series and other appearances as host and anchor of business shows earned her Emmy and Ace award nominations.
  
Ratnam is the Founder-Director of Arangham, a performing arts organization, established in Chennai, India in 1992, and dedicated to explore, enrich and promote the performing and visual arts of India. Her productions reflect a unique ability to combine and experiment the classical and contemporary, presenting Indian traditions in new versions for modern audiences.
  
Ratnam continues to tour abroad widely as a dance artist and as India's contemporary dance ambassador in countries such as USA, Canada, Germany, UK, France. Belgium, South Africa,. Japan, Thailand. Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.
  
Ratnam is founder and editor of Narthaki: A Directory of Indian Dance, the path-breaking website that first placed Indian dance on the world-wide web. Since its inception, Narthaki has grown to be the world's most visited Indian dance websites. She is the key force behind the movement that promotes contemporary Indian dance, through India' seminal contemporary arts festival called the 'The Other Festival' held in Chennai every December. She is also the author of Natya Brahman a book on the comparative drama traditions of India and Greece. Ratnam is currently completely her PhD degree in theatre arts, integrating ritual and performance art.