The Company
Strongly emotive and visually compelling, Lingalayam’s creative body of work incorporates dance, live-music, text and design, and is created and performed by artists of world-class standing.
The Lingalayam repertoire draws from the ancient dance forms of Bharatha Natyam and Kuchipudi, and is directed by legendary guru – dancer, choreographer, and teacher - Anandavalli.
In 1987 Anandavalli started the Lingalayam Dance Academy, a school of classical Indian dancing. As the years progressed the Academy produced a highly talented and disciplined group of performing artists within the school. ‘The Lingalayam Dancers,’ as they came to be known, performed regularly to sell-out audiences in Sydney. In 1996 the Lingalayam Dance Company was founded. It was a permanent base for the graduates of the academy whose aim was to become proficient and professional in this ancient art form.
Lingalayam Dance Company was founded and continues to exist, by drawing on the sacred knowledge of many revered gurus. As stories and artistic interpretations are passed from one generation to the next, through dance and music, this knowledge is extended and in turn gives rise to artists who through their own creation and performance build an enduring legacy and embody an artistic lifecycle. This is the process whereby Lingalayam came into existence, through the efforts of Anandavalli and her own gurus.