Veena Basavarajaiah is an young acclaimed contemporary solo artiste of India.  She has also had the privilege of working with  renowned Contemporary dance companies  and has peformed on various platforms across UK and Europe .A recipient of Special Mention Young Achievers Award in 2007 and also an epanneled artist of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. She is also a free lancer working with various dance companies  does collaborative work with musicains, theatre and multi media artistes. As an Educationist she has worked with  children, teachers & Individuals with special needs across the country and has been working towards incorporating performing arts in the main stream of education.

Training

Bharatnatyam- 15 years – Guru Shubha Dhanajay

Kathak- 2 Years- Natya Institute of Kathak & Choreography

Kalaripayattu- 8 years- Guru Ranjan Mullaratt

Contemporary Dance – 2 years- Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts 

Western Classical Ballet- since 3years- Yana Lewis dance Academy

Work Experience with different companies 

Natyantharanga- Classical dancer & Choreographer 2000-05

Kalari Academy- Martial Artist , Performer & Choreographer – 2001-09

Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts-Dancer & Educationist- 2002-04

Shobana Jeyasingh dance Company( UK) –Company dancer 2004-05

Angika Dance Company ( UK)-  Company Dancer 2006-08

Yana Lewis Dance Company – Company Dancer  2007-09 

Gati Forum ( Delhi) -  Dancer – 2009

Awards and Recognition

Young Achievers Award( Special Mention )- Rotary & Brigade Group- 2007

Empanelled Contemporary and Bharatnatyam Artist for the Indian Council for Cultural relation

'B’ Grade Auditioned artist for the Indian National Television

International Festivals and Performances

Pact Zollverin-International Contemporary Dance festival- Germany-2004

Indian Biennial- Bonn- Germany-2006

Frankfurt Book festival- Germany- 2006

Sziget Dance festival- Budapest- Hungary- 2007

CCBE- Performance- Antwerp- Belgium-2007

Lille festival- France 2007

Oldenburg Arts Festival- Germany- 2007

The Polyzentral Festival- Hamburg- Germany- 2007

Sunera Foundation- Workshop for children with Disability- Sri Lanka-2007

Sammilan-2007

International Womens Festival- Uk-2007

Zaragosa Expo- Spain- 2008

L’oridente L’occident festival- Italy- 2008

Prayog-3-Nritarutya Dance Company- 2008

Swiss Textile College- Switzerland-2009

Attakkalari Bangalore Biennale- 2009

Gati Choreography  Residency ( Delhi)– Jul- Aug-2009

Sammilan –International Contemporary Arts Festival-Nov2009

The Park NEw Festival- Chennai - dec 2009

National School of Drama Theatre Festival - JAn-2010

Interface- Kolkotha- Sep- 2010

 SOLO WORKS

‘MAYA’- Beyond the illusion of perception- A solo piece created at the Gati Residency Delhi 2009 in collaboration with Musician Suchet Malhotra-  July -August -2009

‘SITA’-  A movement monologue set to the original verses of Valmiki Ramayana in collaboration with Sanskrit Scholar Sharda Narayan- June 2009

‘KALPA’-  A dance film based on the concept of male and female energies of shiva and Shakthi in collaboration with Film maker Swaroop Kanchi- March 2009

‘ESCALATOR CLAUSE’-  A site specific work designed on a moving escalator exploring the influence of economy and recession on common man. Presented at the Attakkalari International Arts festival Feb 2009

‘KANDA’ –  A live performance in collaboration with Mirra ( Dancer) along with 13 children aged between 3 and 6 years . Exploring the intimate relationship of a mother and a child at Shanthi Road gallery – Feb 2009

‘ Journeys of the Body’ – A series of performances exploring the vachanas of Akkamahadevi in collaboration with Actor- Writer , Arka Mukhopadhyay.

Performed at the Delhi International Arts Festival Dec 2008

  ‘BLUE’ – A solo choreographed by Mayuri Upadhye ( Director Nritarutya dance Co, Bangalore) ASMI – April 2008

‘Move- mess & Mu- jinx’- A duet with Martial Artist Ranjan Mullaratt exploring the emotion of Humor in Combat- ASMI- April – 2008

Prakruthi – A piece choreographed for Global Warming Awarness programme to bring in awareness in schools and colleges.Feb – 2008

Waves People play – A piece choreographed for Kalari professionals of PKB Kalari Sangam, Guruvayoor  exploring the musicality of  Ketukari – Sammilan- 2007

Dialogues – A piece choreographed in collaboration with Kalri Academy exploring the emotional quality of Kalaripayattu – Adhyaya – 2006

Finding Ri – A solo in collaboration with Musician – Composer Praveen.D. Rao – Adhyaya - 2006