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 Padmarani Rasiah Cantú- Anita Vallabhe-mail: anitavallabhofficial@gmail.com Photos courtesy: Yogavilla Archives January 27, 2026 Padmarani Rasiah Cantú is a distinguished Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer, and teacher whose life and work reflect a rare confluence of artistic excellence, spiritual inquiry, and sustained pedagogy. Rooted in a lineage of cultural service and guided by eminent gurus, her decades-long journey has shaped generations of dancers across Sri Lanka and the United States. What follows is a portrait of an artiste whose commitment to the unity of art, devotion, and education continues to inspire across borders.  Padmarani Rasiah Cantú Padmarani Rasiah Cantú hails from an illustrious and distinguished family from Jaffna, Sri Lanka, who for generations have extended their patronage to the promotion of the fine arts. Padmarani is a versatile Bharatanatyam dancer with an international reputation and has performed widely, earning accolades from audiences and critics around the world. Padma is a consummate artist, an accomplished choreographer, and a teacher who is known for reaching audiences at all levels. Padmarani was a selected artiste with the Virginia Commission for the Arts Tour Directory for over 30 years. Cultural and educational institutions in Virginia benefited from her expertise in performing and teaching this beautiful art form in all its pure and pristine glory. She studied with eminent master teachers, including the late Adyar K. Lakshman and the eminent dancer-teachers, the Dhananjayans of Chennai, India.  Swami Satchidananda, Padma Rasiah and Rukmini "Amma" Rasiah Padma's dance journey began in the 1960s. Her mother, Rukmini "Amma" Rasiah - an ardent devotee of Sri Swami Satchidananda and a lady of great vision, dedication, and devotion - visited Swamiji after a gathering, when Swamiji revealed two of his visions to her. The first was that people of all faiths should live together and pray together in peace and harmony. The second was that we should endeavor to affirm the unity of art and religion through the divine arts of dance and music. Swamiji said, "When I close my eyes, I can see myself seated in the center of a globe with all the art forms revolving around me in unison. Movements with soothing melodies blend harmoniously - peaceful, still, silent, vibrant, serene." Amma asked, "How can it be silent, yet vibrant?" Swamiji replied, "Work to affirm the unity of art and religion through divine fine arts."  Jeya and Padmarani That very day, in 1964, the Fine Arts Society was established. Swamiji served as its first President. Amma took over thereafter and served in that position for over 50 years. When the Fine Arts Society started, little Padma and her older brother Jeya were taking their first hesitant steps in dance. Together, they grew into accomplished couple dancers and performed internationally. Later, while still in Sri Lanka, Padma became the senior dance teacher in charge of the dance department, and together with Amma, they had many successful ventures, including arangetrams and several full-length dance dramas. In 1979, Swamiji embarked on a fundraising tour to build the LOTUS (Light of Truth Universal Shrine) Temple in Yogaville, Virginia, USA. Padma and her brother Jeya - one of the earliest brother-and-sister dance duos from Sri Lanka and lifelong devotees of Sri Swami Satchidananda - accompanied him on an international tour that took them to Switzerland, Canada, and the USA. In 1984, Padma emigrated to the USA and lived at the Satchidananda Ashram Yogaville, located in Buckingham County, Virginia. The Fine Arts Society was re-established, and in 1984, Padmarani took over as Artistic Director and Dance Instructor. Amma continued to serve as President.  Padmarani with The Dhananjayans In 1988, Padma's gurus, the Dhananjayans, performed at the University of Virginia. Padma, a well-known dancer and teacher in her own right, invited them to perform in Yogaville. They fell in love with the serenity, divine feeling, and beauty of Yogaville. With the blessings of Sri Swamiji and the untiring work and leadership of Amma, the Natya Adhyayana Gurukulam Summer Camps were born. For 25 years, Padma taught alongside the Dhananjayans. Hundreds of students attended these camps, and many of today's accomplished dancers can trace their early dance roots to this training. For several years, teacher training camps were also held at the ashram. These were taught by Padma's guru, the esteemed Adyar K. Lakshman. Teachers from all over the USA enhanced their teaching standards through lessons taught by Lakshman Sir. During these years, Padma continued her dance career. In 1997, she toured the USA with The Jungle Book, an intercultural collaborative program by the Ohio Ballet and Bharata Kalanjali, in which she portrayed the Wolf Mother. In 1998, she, along with students of the dance camp, performed Satyam Sivam Sundaram in several cities in Virginia. Subsequently, they traveled to India in 2006 to perform the dance drama there.  Padmarani Rasiah Padma also collaborated with the University of Virginia Theatre Department to choreograph a theatrical production of The Trojan Women. She has choreographed works to Vivaldi's Four Seasons and created interfaith dances using classical Western music. In 2008, when the Dhananjayans undertook their "Farewell Tour of the USA," Padma was greatly honored to accompany them at their invitation and perform alongside them on their multi-city tour. In 2021, Padma was interviewed for a television program titled The Art Scene by the Central Virginia Public Broadcasting System (PBS) about her life and dance career. The interview appears below: The Lotus Life: Padma Rasiah Cantú - YouTube Sri Swami Satchidananda attained Mahasamadhi on 19 August 2002. Amma Rasiah passed away on 26 August 2023 at the age of 105. Dr. Jeyarajan Rasiah, a retired emergency physician, lives in Brisbane, Australia, and continues to foster his love for this divine art by promoting the Fine Arts Society, supporting his sister's artistic endeavors, and teaching Bharatanatyam and Nattuvangam on request. Padma continues to serve as Artistic Director of the Fine Arts Society and offers classes at her home studio in Richmond, Virginia. She performs on invitation. Ruben Cantú, Padma's husband, has assumed the position of President of the Fine Arts Society. Padmarani remains ever grateful to her gurus for their guidance and blessings.  Anita Vallabh, Ph.D, is an author and the Founder and Editorial Curator of Global Indian Artist, based in Boston. Post your comments Please provide your name along with your comment. All appropriate comments posted with name in the blog will also be featured in the site. |
