Awards are milestones, big support, and encouragement for me to pursue my dreams more efficiently.
Dr. Swati, a recipient of a Gold medal from the University of Mumbai and a National Scholarship and National Research Fellowship, is a world-renowned Bharatnatyam exponent known for her innovative approach to dance as an experimental thinker dancer. Through her expressive dance dramas, which she has performed all over the world, she uses dance as a powerful medium to explore and showcase social awareness. She has earned the title of Sangeetacharya for her thesis on Nrityayoga, and her own Bharatnatyam Institute, the Nupurnaad Academy of Music and Dance, is based in Pune, Maharashtra and has achieved notable success.
You are highly educated and have many qualifications. Tell us a bit about your educational achievements.
Being born into an art-loving simple family, I am fortunate to have parents – Mr. Padmaker and Mrs Rajani Kulkarni, who truly nurtured me into the person I am today. Having secured a place on the merit list in both the 10th and 12th standards, I went on to achieve a dual degree in English Literature and Bharatnatyam. In addition, I earned the top rank in Bharatnatyam from the University of Mumbai with distinction and for which I was awarded the prestigious Sir Nageshwar Rao Award, Gold Medal, and National Scholarship.
After this, I completed Nritya Alankar and the highest degree Sangitacharya from Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Malavidyalaya Mandal. Nrityayoga – The parallel aspects of the Principles of Yoga and Aesthetics of Bharatnatyam was my subject. Being a graded television dancer, I am a National Research Fellowship holder too and now I am the only Indian classical dancer on whose thesis the four years degree course is approved by UGC in Dr. D.Y. Patil University.
Why did Swati want to be a classical dancer?
I was d etermined to be a Bharatnatyam dancer since my early childhood. You can attribute it to maybe my passion, my instinct or my love for dance which was also noticed by my parents. They observed me dancing in front of the mirror when there was no television in India. I am thankful to God as my then middle-class parents appointed a private Bharatnatyam teacher for me, who used to come home and teach me.
Please tell us about your success story from initial education to becoming a successful Bharatanatyam dancer.
I am a Mumbai girl since my birth and throughout my school and college days. I used to perform in many competitions to achieve first place always. I began my learning journey at the age of five. Daily practice, a well-balanced diet, and yoga were taken care of by my parents. When I was in dance college, I started performing professionally on different prestigious platforms throughout India. Upon marrying the professional santoor player Dr. Dhananjay Daithankar, I relocated to Pune. It was there that I landed my first professional project with HMV/Saregama, which involved Marathi devotional songs. This project also happened to be the first-ever dance VCD released by HMV worldwide, and it was a resounding success. From that point on, I never looked back. It gave me recognition as a world-famous Bharatnatyam Dancer. Then there are many more DVDs on my credits; one of which was released in Philadelphia, USA and I started performing throughout Europe, USA, Canada, Singapore, and Japan – almost around the globe.
As an internationally recognized personality, what are your priorities when it comes to social work?
I strongly believe that dance is a very powerful medium for social awareness, there are my two dance projects dedicated to Society one is by Vivekanand Kendra Kanyakumari Tejonidhi based on inspirational thoughts of Swami Vivekananda and another is Panchakanya’s stories – Ahilya, Sita, Tara, Draupadi, and Mandodari. While dancing to my own poetry I wear a lapel mic and speak on behalf. of women in society, then and today! I have performed both of these projects in India and various parts of the world and have received a warm response from audiences. Under my institute Nupurnaad, my students have been awarded national scholarships, fellowships, and doctorates.
How do you balance your professional work and personal responsibilities?
Time management is my biggest mantra! For the past 30 years, I have maintained an extremely disciplined lifestyle, striving to balance my various commitments such as travelling, managing my household, and raising my two children almost every weekend. After getting married, I accomplished my Alankar, Sangeetacharys, and Fellowship certifications. Additionally, I wrote books and articles, travelled, efficiently managed my own institute called Nupurnaad, and worked as a faculty member at various universities along with numerous performances and workshops. All of this was achieved while balancing my responsibilities at home, taking care of my children, and maintaining my terrace garden. With effective time management skills, I can indulge in my hobbies of reading and writing. I am also delighted to share that both of my children are meritorious students. As a practice, I used to record their subjects in my voice onto CDs and provide them to my children, who would listen and study from them. Nupur ranked first in her MA in the Dance Program at Mumbai University and completed her National Scholarship and Alankar under my guidance, is now a prominent television star and professional dancer on Zee Marathi. Meanwhile, my son Ninad pursued engineering academically and became a professional Santoor player. After completing his MA in Santoor under his father’s tutelage, he has become a young sensation on stage and YouTube with millions of followers. As a result, I am pleased and satisfied that I have been able to maintain a successful balance between my career and personal life.
What are some ways for women to attain success in the field of dance and music, particularly if they lack support from their families?
I strongly believe that dance is a very powerful medium for social Family support is very important, especially after marriage and I am extremely thankful to God that I got great parents and in-laws who supported my dreams throughout. My husband has composed music for my fifteen professional dance projects. The women who do not get support for their careers, it does become difficult for them, but not impossible though!
Tell us about your VCDs and DVDs which became popular on different musical platforms. How satisfied are you with your dance project “Sur Shayam Ranga?” How was the response to the “Tejonidhi” dance drama which you performed successfully on various platforms?
My VCDs and DVDs were highly successful in the global market. Among them, “Sur Shyam Rang” was inspired by the poetry of Saint Surdas Tejonidhi, while “Panchakanya” and “Nrityabani” were based on Gurubaani’s saint poetry. Additionally, “Padmini” was a dance project inspired by the lotus flower, “Radha – The Eternal Longing” explored the themes of sublime love, and “Shivohum” drew from Adi Shankaracharya’s poetry and Rajas Sukumar. I have had the privilege of working with languages such as Marathi, Hindi, Sanskrit, Braja, Punjabi, and Bengali, attracting audiences from around the world. For all of this, I am deeply grateful to God.
What are your priorities as a faculty of dance in Gandharv Mahavidyalay and as the founder of Nupurnad Academy of Music and Dance?
My academy, “Napurnaad,” is my brainchild and my pride and joy. With my guidance, my students from various parts of India, Singapore, the Gulf, and the USA are reaching new heights every day, achieving national scholarships, fellowships, and doctorates and that is what I aim for. I am faculty in Pune University, Bharati Vidyapeeth and Dr. D.Y. Patil University and Vedic Wellness University (USA).
What are your personal views about women’s empowerment?
With regard to the empowerment of women, I firmly believe that the most effective form of support begins with our efforts, as women possess inherent strength (Shakti). They are capable of efficiently managing their work, personal life, and household without relying on anyone else for emotional support. With quality education and financial independence, they can excel in both their careers and domestic responsibilities. Furthermore, they possess the ability to lead their country, as exemplified by our current president, who serves as a role model and source of pride for all of us.
What are your expectations from the State Government for promoting Bharatanatyam in the present scenario?
I would love it if there will be funding or pension for the classical dancers who have represented our motherland in the universe Scholarship, Fellowships Padma Awards are there already, but the exponents should be provided plots for Dance institutes too as these are the Samskar Kendras for our coming generations.
In your professional career, who supported you the most, men or women?
Throughout my professional journey, I received support from both genders in various situations.
Swati is an introvert or an extrovert by nature?
I am totally extroverted by nature, and loving the same.
How do you face and overcome tough situations in your personal and professional life?
I always like to take up challenges. Given the nature of our profession, we encounter difficult situations while performing globally, but I believe in the goodness in humans and the support of God all the time. I am used to hard work and believe in rehearsals. Ultimately, I believe firmly in myself and my capacity to overcome any circumstances successfully!
In the field of creativity, there is certain criticism too. What is your experience? How do you deal with it?
Among them, “Sur Shyam Rang” was inspired by the poetry of Saint Surdas Tejonidhi, while “Panchakanya” and “Nrityabani” were based on Gurubaani’s saint poetry. Additionally, “Padmini” was a dance project inspired by the lotus flower, “Radha – The Eternal Longing” explored the themes of sublime love, and “Shivohum” drew from Adi Shankaracharya’s poetry and Rajas Sukumar. I have had the privilege of working with languages such as Marathi, Hindi, Sanskrit, Braja, Punjabi, and Bengali, attracting audiences from around the world. For all of this, I am deeply grateful to God.
What are your priorities as a faculty of dance in Gandharv Mahavidyalay and as the founder of Nupurnad Academy of Music and Dance?
My academy, “Napurnaad,” is my brainchild and my pride and joy. With my guidance, my students from various parts of India, Singapore, the Gulf, and the USA are reaching new heights every day, achieving national scholarships, fellowships, and doctorates and that is what I aim for. I am faculty in Pune University, Bharati Vidyapeeth and Dr. D.Y. Patil University and Vedic Wellness University (USA).
What are your personal views about women’s empowerment?
With regard to the empowerment of women, I firmly believe that the most effective form of support begins with our efforts, as women possess inherent strength (Shakti). They are capable of efficiently managing their work, personal life, and household without relying on anyone else for emotional support. With quality education and financial independence, they can excel in both their careers and domestic responsibilities. Furthermore, they possess the ability to lead their country, as exemplified by our current president, who serves as a role model and source of pride for all of us.
What are your expectations from the State Government for promoting Bharatanatyam in the present scenario?
I would love it if there will be funding or pension for the classical dancers who have represented our motherland in the universe Scholarship, Fellowships Padma Awards are there already, but the exponents should be provided plots for Dance institutes too as these are the Samskar Kendras for our coming generations.
In your professional career, who supported you the most, men or women?
Throughout my professional journey, I received support from both genders in various situations.
Swati is an introvert or an extrovert by nature?
I am totally extroverted by nature, and loving the same.
How do you face and overcome tough situations in your personal and professional life?
I always like to take up challenges. Given the nature of our profession, we encounter difficult situations while performing globally, but I believe in the goodness in humans and the support of God all the time. I am used to hard work and believe in rehearsals. Ultimately, I believe firmly in myself and my capacity to overcome any circumstances successfully!
In the field of creativity, there is certain criticism too. What is your experience? How do you deal with it?
Being criticized is a sign of fame and it means few people are afraid of you! Therefore, I view criticism as a positive thing and strive to give my critics more and more chances to witness my work and achievements. I just work really hard and diligently.
Who inspired you the most in your life?
My mother Mrs. Rajani Kulkarni has inspired me a lot. She was a leading theatre artist in her times and the way she managed her career, house, and our careers are truly admirable.
You have won various prestigious awards in the field of dance and music. How significant are these awards for you?
Yes, of course, awards are milestones and big support plus encouragement for me to pursue my dreams more efficiently.
You are always fit and energetic. What is the reason behind your tremendous energy?
My energy comes from a combination of exercise, a healthy diet, dance rehearsals, a disciplined and joyful lifestyle and the support of my audience as well as the blessings of the Almighty.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
