Balasaraswati

Tanjore Balasaraswati, also known as Balasaraswati (13 May 1918 – 9 February 1984), was an Indian dancer, and her rendering of Bharatanatyam, a classical dance style that originated in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, made this style of dancing well known in different parts of India and around the world. Belonging to the devadasi lineage, she preserved the traditional form of Bharatanatyam that embraced shringara (erotic depictions of divine love), viewing it as beautiful and spiritual rather than immoral, unlike dancers such as Rukmini Devi Arundale, who sought to reform the dance by removing its erotic elements.

She was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1957 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1977, the third and the second highest civilian honours given by the Government of India. In 1973, Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, the highest award of Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music and Performing Arts in 1975 She was awarded the Sangeetha Kalanidhi by the Madras Music Academy. In 1981, she was awarded the Sangeetha Kalasikhamani award by the Indian Fine Arts Society, Chennai.