Sadanam P.V Balakrishnan won the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in which dance form?

The correct answer is Kathakali.Key Points

• Shri Sadanam II ~ Balakrishnan won the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his contribution to Kathakali.
• He was Born in 1944 in Taliparamba village in northern Kerala.
• Shri Sadanam Puthiyaveetil Balakrishnan received his initial training in Kathakali from Shri Kurumathur Narayanan Namboodiripad at Kannur.
• After a short stint as a teacher in Kerala, Shri Balakrishnan joined the International Centre for Kathakali, New Delhi, in 1974.
• Shri Balakrishnan has also authored a book on Kathakali.
• Among various honors and awards, Shri Sadanam Balakrishnan has received the Parishad Samman of Sahitya Kala Parishad; Delhi.

Important PointsThe Sangeet Natak academy currently confers classical status on eight Indian classical dance styles:

Additional InformationLavani-

• Lavani is a folk dance from Maharashtra.
• It is a combination of traditional song and dance, which is particularly performed to the beats of the Dholki which is a percussion instrument.
• It is noted for its powerful rhythm and has contributed substantially to the development of Marathi folk theatre.
• It is performed by beautiful women wearing nine yards sarees and dancing to the beats of a drum-like instrument called a dholak.

Bharatnatyam-

• Bharatnatyam is the oldest Indian classical dance 
• It originated hundreds of years ago in the state of Tamilnadu.
• This dance form expresses the religious themes and spiritual ideas of South India.
• The ancient Tamil epic Silappatikaram contains the description of Bharatnatyam.

Kuchipudi-

• One of the eight principal Indian classical dances is Kuchipudi.
• It comes from the Andhra Pradesh state of India, specifically the village of Kuchipudi.
• Kuchipudi was created as a way to worship Krishna, a Hindu deity.
• Kuchipudi is renowned for its dynamic storytelling, dramatic characterization, outstanding, rapid dancing, and expressive eye movements.