VISAKHAPATNAM: Renowned Bharatanatyam exponent, choreographer and scholar Dr Vasundhara Doraswamy will be conferred with the Padmabhushan Guru Dr Saroja Vaidyanathan Excellence Award 2026 by the Nataraj Music & Dance Academy (NMDA) during the Vysakhi Nrithyotsav Indian Dance Festival in Visakhapatnam on September 26 and 27.
Based in Mysore, Dr Doraswamy has had a career spanning more than five decades and is known for integrating Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga with Bharatanatyam. She earned a doctorate on the interrelationship between the two disciplines after training under yoga exponent Pattabhi Jois.
Her solo choreographies, including Panchali, Ganga Lahari and Sama Veda, have received critical acclaim.
She has also been honoured with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and the Shantala Award, besides being conferred honorary citizenship of Louisville, Kentucky.
Dr Doraswamy has performed on international platforms, including UNESCO’s World Peace Conference in Paris, and continues to teach and mentor dancers globally.
The award will be presented during the annual Vysakhi Nrithyotsav, organised by NMDA to promote Indian classical dance and recognise artistes for their contributions to the field.
Founded by BR Vikram Kumar (Vikram Goud Bathina), the academy is an ISO 9001:2015-certified organisation and a member of the International Dance Council, UNESCO.