Since her childhood, Shantala Shivalingappa shares her time between Madras, where she was born, and Paris, where she grew up. She was trained in classical Indian dance at a tender age by her mother, dancer Savitry Nair, and then by her Master Vempati Chinna Satyam, in the Kuchipudi style. Since the age of 13, she had the privilege of working with some of the greatest artists of our times: Maurice Béjart (“1789…et nous”), Peter Brook (for whom she played Miranda in “The Tempest” and Ophelia in “Hamlet”), Bartabas (“Chimère”), Pina Bausch (“O Dido”, “Néfès”, and “Bamboo Blues), Amagatsu (“Ibuki”). Such experiences make her artistic journey a truly unique one. Today, internationally acclaimed as a rare dancer, she is an ambassador for Kuchipudi, sharing her passion for this style across the globe. She was the first to earn a «Bessie Award» in New-York (2013) for a South-Asian style, for her Kuchipudi solo «Shiva Ganga». Shantala shares her time between touring with her solos and expanding her own choreographic work in the Kuchipudi style. Passionate about human encounters and the artistic journey they trigger, she also revels in collaborating with various artists in the exploration of dance, music and theatre.
© Koen Broos
- Pathways to Another Way of Doing Things
