Kalamandalam Sangeetha
Kutiyattam and Nangyar Koothu performer, director, researcher, and cultural practitioner.
Kalamandalam Sangeetha
Kalamandalam Sangeetha is a Kutiyattam and Nangyar Koothu performer, director, researcher, and cultural practitioner whose practice is rooted in both institutional and Gurukula traditions. She trained at Kerala Kalamandalam and later pursued advanced studies under renowned gurus Usha Nangyar and Margi Sathi. For over two decades, she has been engaged in the performance, research, teaching, and contemporary development of Kutiyattam.
Sangeetha’s artistic practice explores the intersections of classical performance traditions, memory, gender, mythology, and contemporary concerns. Through research-driven productions, she investigates how traditional performance vocabularies can engage new narratives and contemporary questions. At the same time, she remains dedicated to safeguarding the integrity of the Kutiyattam tradition and nurturing the next generation of practitioners through rigorous training, research, and cultural stewardship.
Sangeetha is the recipient of several fellowships and awards, including the Junior Fellowship from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy Vajra Jubilee Fellowship, and the Rays of Hope Award. She has presented performances, workshops, and lecture demonstrations across India and internationally.
She serves as Secretary of Kriya Natyasala – Centre for Kutiyattam Research and Practice, where she leads artistic, research, and educational initiatives dedicated to the preservation, transmission, and contemporary evolution of Kutiyattam and Nangyar Koothu. Alongside training emerging artists, she is deeply committed to audience development, creating opportunities for children and diverse communities to engage with these traditions through workshops, lecture-demonstrations, and outreach programmes that cultivate new generations of practitioners and audiences.