About
Biography
Rajashree Warrier (born 31 January 1974, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala) is a Bharatanatyam dancer, musician, writer, and educator. She holds a PhD in music from the Department of Music, Kerala University. Active since 1990, she is recognized for integrating Malayalam poetry, folk elements, and compositions of social reformer Sree Narayana Guru into Bharatanatyam choreography.
She is an empanelled Bharatanatyam artist with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).
Training and Academic Background
Rajashree Warrier trained in Bharatanatyam under V. Mythili and Jayanthi Subramaniam. Her grounding in Carnatic music includes training under Mullamudu Harihara Iyer, Perumbavoor G. Raveendranath, Parassala Ponnammal, and B. Sasikumar.
In addition to her doctoral degree in music, she holds a postgraduate diploma in journalism, reflecting parallel engagement with literary and media disciplines.
Choreographic Work
Rajashree Warrier is noted for conceptual clarity and narrative structure in her choreographies. Her abhinaya (expressive interpretation), musical scholarship and poetic writing inform her dance productions.
Through her choreographic series titled 'Nattumozhi,' she introduces colloquial Malayalam identity and evolving body idioms into the Bharatanatyam format. Her work reflects a sustained engagement with regional language, literature, and social thought within the classical grammar of the form.
Selected choreographic insights and performances are documented through digital platforms such as Natyasutra.
Media and Public Engagement
She anchored the breakfast program Suprabhatham, on Asianet for four years. In addition, she has anchored, scripted, and produced cultural programmes for DD Kerala, Amrita TV, and Asianet.
Publications
Rajashree Warrier is the author of:
- Nruthakala (Chintha Publications, 2011)
- Narthaki (DC Books, 2013)
She also writes poetry in English. Her poems have appeared in journals including the Journal of Literature and Aesthetics and the Kerala Literary Survey (the English journal of the Kerala Sahitya Academy).
Awards and Honours
Her recognitions include:
- Kerala Prabha Award (2025)
- Kshetrakala Fellowship, Government of Kerala (2024)
- Revathy Pattathanam Natya Puraskaram (2022)
- Devdasi National Award for Bharatanatyam (2014)
- Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award (2013)
- VS Sharma Endowment Award from Kerala Kalamandalam (2013)
- Mahila Tilak Award, Government of Kerala (2012)
- Sai Natya Ratna (2010)
- Natana Shiromani Award (2009)
- Navarasam Sangeeta Sabha Award (2007)
She has also served as a jury member in the ‘Books and Articles’ category of the Kerala State Film Awards (2014).