Date:28/01/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/01/28/stories/2007012819490300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Dance teacher Padmini Rao dead

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: Padmini Rao, noted classical dance teacher, passed away here on Saturday.

She complained of uneasiness while accompanying her students as "natuvanga" — vocal support — at Ravindra Kalakshetra. She was 51 and is survived by husband, Shreedhar, son Shreyas and mother.

Sources close to the family said Ms. Rao left the stage letting her son don the role of "natuvanga." She felt uncomfortable and was rushed to a private hospital, but was declared brought dead.

A Rajyotsava awardee in 2006, Ms. Rao was the founder of Ponnayya Lalithakala Academy through which she was conducting several cultural programmes.

She was the student of highly respected Kittappa Pillai. She had planned a three-day programme in memory of her guru from February 17.

She had been working on her partly completed Rs. 1-crore dream project to build a dance theatre at Channammanakere Acchukattu Layout, Banashankari III Stage, according to I.M. Vittal Murthy, Secretary, Kannada and Culture.