Varanasi-based dancer and choreographer Swati Athmanathan carries a strong artistic lineage and a contemporary vision. She is the great-granddaughter of National Tamil Poet Mahakavi Subrahmanyam Bharathiyar and has trained in Bharatanatyam for over a decade under Padma Bhushan Prof. C.V. Chandrasekhar and Smt. Jaya Chandrasekhar. She continues advanced training with Sri Renjith Babu and Smt. Vijna Vasudevan. Alongside performance, she is also a vocalist, composer, anchor, yoga trainer and fitness coach. In 2024, she received the Junior Fellowship Award from the CCRT, Ministry of Culture, for her contribution to Bharatanatyam. She is also the Founder-Director of Bandish Arts, a non-profit dedicated to nurturing the arts.

At Abhivyakti, Swati and her team present Varna-Asi – Varnan: A Hymn through Ganga. The work places the river Ganga at the centre, both as witness and storyteller, tracing the evolution of Varanasi across eras. Moving backward through time, from the present day to the Satya Yuga, the choreography is inspired by the evocative writings of Dr. Kamla Pandey and reimagines the river as a pen sketching the city like a living GPS.

For Swati, born and raised in Varanasi, this work is a heartfelt tribute to her Kashi and an invitation for audiences to experience its timeless spirit.