Ashwini Surendran

Ashwini Surendran is a South Asian classical dance artist, performer and educator based in Edinburgh, with over 20 years of training and performance experience. Bharatanatyam is at the heart of her practice, alongside training and experience in Mohiniyattam, Kuchipudi and Kerala Nadanam.

Her practice is rooted in the rich vocabulary of Indian classical dance, combining intricate rhythm and technique with expressive storytelling, characterisation and emotional interpretation. She is particularly interested in the relationship between movement, music, mythology and narrative, and in exploring how traditional South Asian movement practices can communicate meaningfully with contemporary audiences.

Ashwini’s artistic journey began in childhood and has included extensive stage experience, competitive achievements and performances in significant cultural and religious spaces. She has represented Coimbatore in dance competitions, received zonal-level recognition in Bharatanatyam and semi-classical dance, and performed at Guruvayur Temple on multiple occasions. She completed her Arangetram at Mookambika in 2018, marking an important milestone in her classical training.

Since moving to Scotland, Ashwini has been developing her identity as an independent artist and expanding her performance practice within the Scottish cultural landscape. Her recent work includes Dāsāvatāra – When Gods Walked the Earth, a Bharatanatyam performance exploring the ten incarnations of Vishnu through movement, expression, rhythm and narration.

Alongside performance, Ashwini has a strong interest in education and knowledge-sharing, particularly in making South Asian classical dance accessible to audiences encountering the form for the first time. She is interested in developing workshops and participatory experiences alongside performance, creating opportunities for audiences to engage with movement vocabulary, storytelling and the cultural context behind the form.

Her longer-term ambition is to develop work that respects the depth and integrity of South Asian classical traditions while creating space for experimentation, collaboration and cross-cultural dialogue.