For Narthaki, her love for Bharatanatyam became her life right from her childhood. She sought out her own opportunities to pursue the art, and became an eager disciple under the tutelage of K P Kittappa, who remained her guru for 15 years.

Her debut performance in 1983 launched her as an artiste, and her journey since then has taken her to worldwide platforms. Narthaki pressed forward on her academic path as well, earning herself an honorary doctorate from the Periyar Maniammai University.

Besides being a deserving Padma Shri recipient, she has been granted distinctive honours such as the Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar Award from the President of India, the title of Nrithya Choodamani, and the Kalaimamani title from the government of Tamil Nadu, among other accolades. For her undying devotion towards the love of traditional dance forms, we proudly present Narthaki with the JFW Award for Excellence in Performing Arts.

“I have always looked up to JFW. The way they honour women from various fields heartens me to know that women from all walks of life are appreciated when they set their minds to work hard and achieve great height.” Narthaki Nataraj