Ananda Shankar Jayant
Ananda Shankar Jayant is an Indian classical dancer, choreographer, scholar and bureaucrat, Motivational speaker.
Combines art and motivation to inspire through dance and storytelling.
Ritu Sharma
ITWatch Ananda Shankar Jayant Deliver Impactful Motivational Sessions
hyderabad
english
10+ years
About Ananda Shankar Jayant
Dr Ananda Shankar Jayant is a Padma Shri-awarded Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dancer, choreographer and TED speaker, and the first woman officer of the Indian Railway Traffic Service on South Central Railway. A breast cancer survivor who kept dancing through treatment, she is the author of the 2026 memoir Dancing with Joy. Companies can book Ananda Shankar Jayant through engage4more for keynotes and dance-led sessions, in person or virtually.
Born in Chennai in 1961, Ananda founded her dance school, Shankarananda Kalakshetra, in Hyderabad in 1978 with eight students. She went on to join the civil services and spent her career balancing senior roles in Indian Railways with performances across India and abroad, a rare dual path that makes her one of India’s most innovative leadership speakers on passion, discipline and purpose.
In June 2008 she was diagnosed with breast cancer while at a Kuchipudi conference in the US, and chose to keep dancing through her treatment. Her 2009 TED talk on dancing through cancer has been ranked among the most powerful TED talks on cancer, making her one of India’s most moving cancer survivor speakers. Her honours include the Kalaimamani Award (2002), the Padma Shri (2007) and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Bharatanatyam (2009).
In October 2026, Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan released her memoir Dancing with Joy, which places her among India’s most inspiring author speakers. Her talks cover resilience, compassionate leadership, balancing passion and profession, and leadership through artistic discipline, and can blend storytelling with dance, ideal for women’s forums, wellness weeks and leadership summits. engage4more designs her sessions using our STRIVE approach, so every talk ends with practical takeaways. Backed by engage4more’s experience of coordinating 5,000+ corporate events across India, explore our full motivational speakers directory to build a complete lineup.
Dr Ananda Shankar Jayant is a Padma Shri-awarded Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dancer, choreographer and TED speaker, and the first woman officer of the Indian Railway Traffic Service on South Central Railway. A breast cancer survivor who kept dancing through treatment, she is the author of the 2026 memoir Dancing with Joy. Companies can book Ananda Shankar Jayant through engage4more for keynotes and dance-led sessions, in person or virtually.
Born in Chennai in 1961, Ananda founded her dance school, Shankarananda Kalakshetra, in Hyderabad in 1978 with eight students. She went on to join the civil services and spent her career balancing senior roles in Indian Railways with performances across India and abroad, a rare dual path that makes her one of India’s most innovative leadership speakers on passion, discipline and purpose.
In June 2008 she was diagnosed with breast cancer while at a Kuchipudi conference in the US, and chose to keep dancing through her treatment. Her 2009 TED talk on dancing through cancer has been ranked among the most powerful TED talks on cancer, making her one of India’s most moving cancer survivor speakers. Her honours include the Kalaimamani Award (2002), the Padma Shri (2007) and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Bharatanatyam (2009).
In October 2026, Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan released her memoir Dancing with Joy, which places her among India’s most inspiring author speakers. Her talks cover resilience, compassionate leadership, balancing passion and profession, and leadership through artistic discipline, and can blend storytelling with dance, ideal for women’s forums, wellness weeks and leadership summits. engage4more designs her sessions using our STRIVE approach, so every talk ends with practical takeaways. Backed by engage4more’s experience of coordinating 5,000+ corporate events across India, explore our full motivational speakers directory to build a complete lineup.
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Career Highlights and Achievements of Ananda Shankar Jayant
First Female IRTS Officer (Railways)
Became the first woman officer in the Indian Railway Traffic Service, South Central Railway.
Padma Shri
Received India’s Padma Shri for contributions to Indian arts.
Sangeet Natak Akademi award
Honored by the Sangeet Natak Akademi for her contribution to Bharatanatyam.
Kalaimamani award
awarded by the Government of Tamil Nadu for her outstanding contributions to classical dance.
Vishwakalabharati award
Received the Vishwakalabharati award from Bharat Kalachar for her excellence in dance.
“Top TED Talks on Cancer” Ranking
Her 2009 TED-talk “She who danced her way through cancer” was ranked among the top twelve TED talks on cancer.
International Tours & Dance Scholarship
Has performed extensively across India and abroad, and is a dance scholar in forms like Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi, being active since early 1970s.
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Snapshots of Ananda Shankar Jayant
Showcasing some prominent images and videos of Ananda Shankar Jayant including our previous events and other endeavors.
Ananda Shankar Jayant
Ananda Shankar Jayant is an Indian classical dancer, choreographer, scholar and bureaucrat, Motivational speaker.
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FAQs
Ananda Shankar Jayant is a Hyderabad-based Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dancer, choreographer, scholar and motivational speaker. engage4more lists her speaker profile and facilitates booking enquiries for keynotes and cultural sessions.
Ananda Shankar Jayant gave a widely viewed TED talk on how dance helped her through a difficult personal health journey, a story of resilience and purpose. engage4more lists her for talks on similar themes.
Ananda Shankar Jayant is a Padma Shri awardee and has received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. For a verified list of her honours, refer to official sources. engage4more lists her speaker profile.
Yes. engage4more's profile notes that Ananda Shankar Jayant served as an officer in the Indian Railway Traffic Service, and her dual career in public service and classical dance offers rich leadership lessons.
Ananda Shankar Jayant speaks on resilience, compassionate leadership, balancing passion and profession, and overcoming adversity. engage4more can help shape a session that blends storytelling, dance and insight. Sessions can be tailored to your audience, goals and preferred format.
Subject to venue and format, engage4more can explore sessions where Ananda Shankar Jayant pairs a keynote with a short classical dance presentation, which makes cultural and leadership events especially distinctive.
Yes. engage4more lists Ananda Shankar Jayant for International Women's Day and women-in-leadership forums, where her journey as a public servant and acclaimed dancer inspires women professionals. Sessions can be tailored to your audience, goals and preferred format.
Yes, subject to availability. engage4more facilitates enquiries for Ananda Shankar Jayant at innovation and creativity forums, where she draws on choreography and tradition to discuss fresh thinking. Sessions can be tailored to your audience, goals and preferred format.
Subject to availability, engage4more can explore virtual keynotes and webinars with Ananda Shankar Jayant for distributed teams and online events. Share your platform and time zone when enquiring.
For speaking bookings, contact engage4more at activities@engage4more.com or +91-8044186906. engage4more lists Ananda Shankar Jayant's speaker profile and facilitates booking enquiries, but does not share personal contact details. Share your event date, city and format to speed things up.
Ananda Shankar Jayant's speaking fees depend on event location, session duration, format and travel. engage4more does not publish fixed fees; for a customised quote, contact engage4more at activities@engage4more.com or +91-8044186906. Sharing your date and city speeds up the quote.
Share your event date, city, audience size and theme on engage4more's website. engage4more lists Ananda Shankar Jayant's speaker profile and facilitates booking enquiries; you can also reach the team at activities@engage4more.com or +91-8044186906.
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