The Most Famous
DANCERS from India
Top 7
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Indian Dancers of all time. This list of famous Indian Dancers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Birju Maharaj (1937 - 2022)
With an HPI of 48.90, Birju Maharaj is the most famous Indian Dancer. His biography has been translated into 21 different languages on wikipedia.
Pandit Birju Maharaj (born Brijmohan Nath Mishra; 4 February 1938 – 17 January 2022) was an Indian dancer, composer, singer, and exponent of the Lucknow "Kalka-Bindadin" Gharana of Kathak dance in India. He was a descendant of the Maharaj family of Kathak dancers, which includes his two uncles, Shambhu Maharaj and Lachhu Maharaj, and his father and guru, Acchan Maharaj. He also practised Hindustani classical music and was a vocalist. After working along with his uncle, Shambhu Maharaj at Bhartiya Kala Kendra, later the Kathak Kendra, New Delhi, he remained head of the latter, for several years, until his retirement in 1998 when he opened his own dance school, Kalashram, also in Delhi.Birju Maharaj was a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian honor, in 1986.
2. Rukmini Devi Arundale (1904 - 1986)
With an HPI of 43.99, Rukmini Devi Arundale is the 2nd most famous Indian Dancer. Her biography has been translated into 23 different languages.
Rukmini Devi Arundale (née Shastri; 29 February 1904 – 24 February 1986) was an Indian theosophist, dancer and choreographer of the Indian classical dance form of Bharatanatyam, and an activist for animal welfare. She was the first woman in Indian history to be nominated as a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India. The most important revivalist of Bharatanatyam from its original 'sadhir' style prevalent amongst the temple dancers, the Devadasis, she also worked for the re-establishment of traditional Indian arts and crafts. She espoused the cause of Bharata Natyam which was considered a vulgar art. She 'sanitised' and removed the inherent eroticism of Sadhir to make it palatable to Indian upper-caste elites and the British morality of the era. Rukmini Devi features in India Today's list of '100 People Who Shaped India'. She was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1956, and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship in 1967.
3. Mrinalini Sarabhai (1918 - 2016)
With an HPI of 43.55, Mrinalini Sarabhai is the 3rd most famous Indian Dancer. Her biography has been translated into 24 different languages.
Mrinalini Vikram Sarabhai (11 May 1918 – 21 January 2016) was an Indian classical dancer, choreographer and instructor. She was the founder and director of the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts, an institute for imparting training in dance, drama, music and puppetry, in the city of Ahmedabad. She received Padma Bhushan in 1992 and Padma Shri in 1965. She also received many other citations in recognition of her contribution to art.
4. Balasaraswati (1918 - 1984)
With an HPI of 42.41, Balasaraswati is the 4th most famous Indian Dancer. Her biography has been translated into 16 different languages.
Tanjore Balasaraswati, also known as Balasaraswati (13 May 1918 – 9 February 1984), was an Indian dancer, and her rendering of Bharatanatyam, a classical dance style originated in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, made this style of dancing well known in different parts of India and many parts of the world. She was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1957 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1977, the third and the second highest civilian honours given by the Government of India. In 1973, she was awarded the Sangeetha Kalanidhi by the Madras Music Academy. In 1981 she was awarded the Sangeetha Kalasikhamani award of The Indian Fine Arts Society, Chennai.
5. Yamini Krishnamurthy (1940 - )
With an HPI of 42.10, Yamini Krishnamurthy is the 5th most famous Indian Dancer. Her biography has been translated into 18 different languages.
Mungara Yamini Krishnamurthy (born 20 December 1940) is an Indian dancer of Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi styles of dancing.
6. Saroj Khan (1948 - 2020)
With an HPI of 38.65, Saroj Khan is the 6th most famous Indian Dancer. Her biography has been translated into 25 different languages.
Saroj Khan (born Nirmala Nagpal; 22 November 1948 – 3 July 2020) was an Indian dance choreographer in Hindi cinema. She was born in Bombay State (present day Maharashtra), India. She was best known for the dance form mujra and the first woman choreographer in Bollywood. With a career spanning over forty years, she choreographed more than 3000 songs. She died on 3 July 2020 of a sudden cardiac arrest.
7. Sonal Mansingh (1944 - )
With an HPI of 37.87, Sonal Mansingh is the 7th most famous Indian Dancer. Her biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Sonal Mansingh (born 30 April 1944) is an Indian classical dancer and Guru in Bharatanatyam and Odissi dancing style. She has been nominated by the President of India to become a Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha. She is the recipient of Padma Bhushan in 1992 and Padma Vibhushan in 2003.
Pantheon has 7 people classified as dancers born between 1904 and 1948. Of these 7, 2 (28.57%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living dancers include Yamini Krishnamurthy and Sonal Mansingh. The most famous deceased dancers include Birju Maharaj, Rukmini Devi Arundale, and Mrinalini Sarabhai. As of April 2022, 2 new dancers have been added to Pantheon including Birju Maharaj and Sonal Mansingh.
Living Dancers
Go to all RankingsDeceased Dancers
Go to all Rankings
Birju Maharaj
1937 - 2022
HPI: 48.90
Rukmini Devi Arundale
1904 - 1986
HPI: 43.99
Mrinalini Sarabhai
1918 - 2016
HPI: 43.55
Balasaraswati
1918 - 1984
HPI: 42.41
Saroj Khan
1948 - 2020
HPI: 38.65
Newly Added Dancers (2022)
Go to all RankingsWhich Dancers were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 4 most globally memorable Dancers since 1700.
