Footloose and fancy free with Dr. Sunil Kothari - Paris diary: Milena Salvini, Centre Mandapa, and Shantala Shivalingappa

Arriving in Paris after almost a decade, I was looking forward to meeting friends with whom I had spent lot of time during my former visits. The constants were Milena Salvini of Centre Mandapa, Savitry Nair and her husband Shivalingappa, and painter Velu Viswanadhan. Savitry and I go a long way as she hailed from Kalakshetra and we knew each other from early 60s. She has been in Paris for more than 40 years.  She has played an important role by giving lec-dems, teaching, both classical Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music and working closely with France’s legendary choreographer Maurice Bejart. She was instrumental in creating awareness about classical dance and music and Indian culture in France and Europe.

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