VK & BRINDHA
About
Venkatakrishnan started learning music and dance together, the right combination to become a full-fledged artist in his life. Having done arangetram under Thiruvidaimarudur T.A.Rajalakshmi ammal (a devadasi). He furthered his training under Kutthalam Sri M. Selvam ( S/O Nattuvanar Sri. V.S.Muthuswamy Pillai), where he also imbibed the knowledge of nattuvangam. He went on to take it up as a full time profession dancing and eventually came to Bharatkalanjai Chennai. Here under the Dhananjayans he honed his skill as a Dancer, Musician, Nattuvanar, Composer, and Choreographer which is all that an artist requires to become a full timer. He travels extensively all over India and abroad for many shows. In Chennai he has given his solo performances for Natyarangam, Mylapore fine arts, Narthaka festival and with his gurus he has performed prominent roles in their dance productions to name a few. His regular dance workshops in the US during summer is a big learning experience for art lovers. Setting his own music for dance compositions and writing lyrics for them too is another exploration of his art and endeavors.
He honed his flair for vocal music with his Bachelor of music at the Madras University. At that young aspiring age as a composer, he already had to his credit several Thillanas, Varnams, Padams and Krithis that have won appreciation and laurels from noted doyens of music, which he continues to make more.
All his compositions are not only suitable for dancing , can be presented in carnatic kutcheris too !
Venkatakrishnan with his wife Brindha explores and composes new pieces in taking it forward to their students as well as to the artist community. Together through their institution Pranava center for arts, they instill a strong rooted technique of this tradition in teaching this wonderful artform.
Hailing from a family of artists, Brindha was initiated in Bharatanatyam at the tender age of two! by her father artist A.Selvaraj. She is multifaceted with dancing, teaching, veena playing, painting, sculpting which combines her talent in a unique way. she is also a B.tech graduate. She is a serious fulltime practitioner of this beautiful artform. she continued her training under Smt. Maya Vinayan. She continued her advanced training under the Dhananjayans at Bharatakalanjali , where she flourished her dancing skills and went onto travel and perform with her gurus for many dance productions such as Ramanatakam, Aikyabharatham,Thyagaraja vaibavam, Mouna kural, Shakti prabavam and other Natya presentations. After her marriage with Venkatakrishnan, she gave her first solo presentation Bhavam Bhavani, a well received solo dance production on shiva and shakthi. In 2018, along with her husband venkatakrishnan, she traveled to US to conduct dance workshops and be part of 45th anniversary celebrations of Natyananda Dance school from Alabama, US.
She is a Professional Visual artist from Cholamandal artist village, Chennai. She is an executive board member 0f Artists' handicraft association (AHA) and a member of Progressive painters association (PPA).
Along with her husband Venkatakrishnan she choreographs many dance pieces and they conduct many successful workshops online globally.