Grihalakshmi

Grihalakshmi Soundarapandian is a bharatanatyam dancer and urban planner based in Vancouver and Toronto, Canada. She joined Mandala Arts & Culture in 2012 and completed her Arangetram (graduation) in 2016 under the training of Jai Govinda.

 

Her notable performances include New Works Dance Allsorts, Namaste Canada, lecture demonstrations at UBC, and Shyama – a theatrical dance production performed by graduates of the Jai Govinda Dance Academy. Additionally, Grihalakshmi placed second in the Senior Varnam category at the Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival in 2018. Grihalakshmi also spent all of 2019 on exchange studies in Singapore, where she performed as part of NUS Arts Out Loud, Sangae Muzhangu, and on Vasantham TV. Through her experiences in interacting and dancing with local artists in Singapore, she has gained a broad perspective of how dance is interpreted and utilized across the world. She has enjoyed translating this global knowledge to others through her role as President of Asta Alliance, a non-profit organization based in Vancouver that promotes the Indian classical dance styles.  

 

Grihalakshmi currently works as a land use planner and is a graduate of the Master of Science in Planning program at the University of Toronto. As a Tamil Canadian, Grihalakshmi deeply understands the diasporic challenge of existing between two vastly different regions and cultures. Bharatanatyam has not only allowed her to remain rooted in her Tamil heritage, but has compelled her to think about the role of culture, diasporas, and belonging in Canadian planning practice. She had the opportunity to see these entities come together during a memorable performance at Community in Public Planning’s Roadmap Event in Toronto in 2022. Whether it be as a dancer or planner, Grihalakshmi aims to contribute to the local and global movement of arts- and community-led city building.