Balasaraswati

Tanjore Balasaraswati was an Indian dancer. She was also known by another name, Balasaraswati. She was born on May 13, 1918, in Madras, British India, and died on February 9, 1984, at 65, in Madras, India. She was a famous Bharatnayam dancer. In 1957, she was awarded the Padma Bhushan award, and in 1977, she was awarded the Padma Vibhushan award. In 1981, she was awarded the Sangeetha Kala Shikhamani award by the Indian Fine Arts Society, Chennai. Many people acknowledge Veenai Dhanammal (1867–1938), her grandmother, the most influential musician of the early 20th century. Balasaraswati's mother, Jayammal (1890–1967), supported her training and served as her pianist.

She had two younger brothers who were musicians named T. Ranganathan and T. Viswanathan, who became well-known performers and instructors in India and the United States, respectively. Lakshmi Knight (1943–2001), her daughter, identified as an established artist in her mother's way. Aniruddha Knight, her grandson, is the creative director of the Bala Music and Dance Association in the US and the Balasaraswati School of Dance in India, where he continues the family tradition of performing. A Guggenheim Fellowship was awarded to her son-in-law, Douglas M. Knight Jr., in 2003, who used it to write her biography. She was the subject of a documentary by the well-known Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray Biographies reveal bare details about the maverick >> Read More... .