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{{Short description|Indian classical and contemporary dancer and choreographer}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Anita Ratnam
| image = Pressegespräch zum Festival Ramayana in Performance im Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum-9095.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Ratnam, 2012 in Cologne
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1954|05|21}}
| birth_place = [[Madurai]], [[Madras State]], India
| death_date = 
| death_place =
| other_names =
| education = [[Kalakshetra]]
| alma_mater =
| years_active =
| known_for = Director, Arangham Interactive, [[Chennai]]
| occupation = {{hlist|dancer| choreographer|actress}}
| website = [http://www.anitaratnam.com/ www.anitaratnam.com]
}}

'''Anita Ratnam''' (born 21 May 1954) is an Indian [[Indian classical dance|classical]] and contemporary dancer and choreographer. Classically trained in [[Bharat Natyam]], she has also received formal training in [[Kathakali]], [[Mohiniattam]], and [[tai chi]] and [[Kalarippayattu]], thus creating a dance style which she has coined "Neo Bharatam".<ref>{{cite news |title= Potent rasa |url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/life/2007/08/17/stories/2007081750070300.htm |publisher=[[Business Line]] |date=17 August 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Stirs the intellect: Anita Ratnam does it, with her holistic approach to choreography, the spoken word, sets, lighting design and costumes. |url=http://www.hindu.com/ms/2008/01/04/stories/2008010450200800.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080109204321/http://www.hindu.com/ms/2008/01/04/stories/2008010450200800.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 January 2008 |work=[[The Hindu]] |date=4 January 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Dance diva waltzes on: Anita Ratnam has struck a fine balance between the commercial and aesthetic components of her art |url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2005/03/15/stories/2005031500740100.htm |work=[[The Hindu]] |date=15 March 2005 |access-date=30 December 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100105142135/http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2005/03/15/stories/2005031500740100.htm |archive-date=5 January 2010 |url-status=usurped |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

==Education and training==
Anitha Rathnam had her initial dance training under [[Bharatanatyam]] guru, [[Adyar K. Lakshman]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Singing paeans to a guru |url= http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/dance/article69923.ece|work=[[The Hindu]] |date=25 December 2009 }}</ref> and later went to [[Rukmini Devi Arundale]]'s '[[Kalakshetra]]' for advanced training and earned a Post graduate diploma in Dance. She trained in [[Bharatanatyam]] as well as [[Kathakali]] and [[Mohiniattam]], the classical dances of Kerala.<ref>[http://www.webindia123.com/personal/dancer/anita.htm Anita Ratnam]</ref>

==Career==
[[File:Pressegespräch zum Festival Ramayana in Performance im Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum-9131.jpg|thumb|Anita Ratnam, Festival "[[Ramayana]] in Performance" in the Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum, Cologne, 2012]]
She did her MA in theatre and television from the [[University of New Orleans]], and spent the next ten years as a television producer/commentator in the United States with productions including a weekly series on art, travel and culture in India. She set up Arangham Trust, in 1992 in Chennai, followed by Arangham Dance Theatre, a performance company in 1993.<ref>{{cite book |title= New directions in Indian dance|last=Kothari |first=Sunil |author-link=Sunil Kothari |year=2003 |publisher=Marg Publications on behalf of the National Centre for the Performing Arts|page=186 }}</ref><ref name=cla>{{cite web |title= Interview:'I Call Myself A Contemporary Classicist...'|url=http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?222385 |date=17 December 2003|work=[[Outlook (Indian magazine)|Outlook]] }}</ref>

She has also appeared in some Tamil movies over the years, such as ''[[Kandukondain Kandukondain]]'' (2000) and ''[[Boys (2003 film)|Boys]]'' (2003).

==Choreographies==
* A Map to the Next World (1997), With Native American poet Joy Harjo
* Inner World (1998); with Pangea World Theatre in Minneapolis
* Daughters of the Ocean (1999); with writer Shobita Punja
* Dust (2002), with Mark Taylor of Dance Alloy, Pittsburgh, USA.<ref>{{cite news |title=Spirituality in dance: Popular danseuse Anita Ratnam in partnership with Mark Taylor.. |url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2002/12/04/stories/2002120400330100.htm |work=[[The Hindu]] |date=4 December 2002 |access-date=30 December 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202111908/http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2002/12/04/stories/2002120400330100.htm |archive-date=2 December 2008 |url-status=usurped |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
* Hyphenated (2002), for Toronto's Lata Pada.
* Seven Graces (2005), with Canada-based Hari Krishnan
* Vortext (2006), with Canadian dance artist Peter Chin
* MA3KA (2009).<ref name=pro>[http://www.4to40.com/legends/index.asp?id=950 Anita Ratnam: Classical dancer & Choreographer Profile] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080416045336/http://www.4to40.com/legends/index.asp?id=950 |date=16 April 2008 }}</ref><ref name=ma>{{cite news |title=Celebrating woman power|url= http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/dance/article72341.ece|work=[[The Hindu]] |date=29 December 2009 }}</ref>

==Awards==

Anita Ratnam has received several awards and recognition for her work in the performing arts in India and abroad.
Some of them are:

[[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]] (2016) by [[Sangeet Natak Akademi]] for contemporary dance<ref>{{Cite web| title=ANITA R RATNAM Akademi Award: Contemporary Dance | url=https://www.sangeetnatak.gov.in/public/uploads/awardees/docs/Anita_R_Ratnam.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628034503/https://sangeetnatak.gov.in/public/uploads/awardees/docs/Anita_R_Ratnam.pdf | archive-date=2022-06-28}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Anita Ratnam}}
* {{Official website|http://www.anitaratnam.com}}
* [http://www.arangham.com/index.html Arangham Trust, website]

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ratnam, Anita}}
[[Category:Artists from Madurai]]
[[Category:1954 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian female classical dancers]]
[[Category:University of New Orleans alumni]]
[[Category:Indian women choreographers]]
[[Category:Indian choreographers]]
[[Category:Artists from Chennai]]
[[Category:Performers of Indian classical dance]]
[[Category:Kalakshetra Foundation alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian dancers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women artists]]
[[Category:Dancers from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Women artists from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian dancers]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian women artists]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]]

Anita Ratnam - Revision history

Curi Hospital at 14:36, 26 April 2026