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Subathra Subramaniam

Subathra, Akademi’s Artistic Director and Joint CEO is one of UK’s leading choreographers and educators working at the confluence of dance, culture and science having spent over 20 years as Artistic Director of two of the UK’s pioneering South Asian dance companies – Angika and Sadhana Dance.

Subathra started her Bharatanatyam training in Malaysia at The Temple Of Fine Arts and continued it in London under Prakash Yadagudde at The Bhavan; as a qualified science teacher with a Masters Degree in Education and PGCE in Science. Her dual training in Bharatanatyam and science puts her in a unique position and she is highly respected within the UK’s dance and scientific communities.

Creating work for theatres, festivals and alternative spaces, Subathra’s works are a result of in-depth cross art collaborations with award winning artists like Kathy Hinde and Aideen Malone alongside extended periods of research undertaken with scientists and academic institutions.

During her time with Angika she choreographed and performed in all the company’s duet and ensemble works including: Sudarsana, The-Triple-Hymn, Kala, Pulse of Tala, Bhakti, Ether, Urban Temple, Soul of Light and Cypher, touring both nationally and internationally to venues and locations including the V&A and Royal Festival Hall in London, Tanzhaus in Germany, Sziget Festival, Hungary and Kampnagel in Hamburg, Germany.

As an educator Suba was co-education director of Cape Farwell where she co-organised two voyages to the High Arctic and was instrumental in writing resources for science and geography curricula from the footage, photography, art and scientific research that was carried out during the voyages.