Madhavi Krishnan

Madhavi Krishnan (b. 1941) became the first Indian recipient of the inaugural Cultural Medallion, Singapore's highest arts award. She was noted for her innovative approach to Indian dance, blending it with Malay and Chinese influences and appealing to multicultural audiences. Educated at Balestier Road Girls' School, Madhavi Krishnan developed a passion for dance from a young age. At the age of 14, she was sent to Chennai, India, to undergo training in various Indian classical dance forms. There, she studied at Natana Niketan, a well-known dance academy. Immersing herself in Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, and Manipuri, she embarked on dance tours across major cities in India during the late 1950s. Concurrently, she began appearing in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam films. Subsequently, she became a professional dancer, choreographer, and actress, earning the moniker 'Singapore Madhavi' in the South Indian film industry during the 1960s. However, due to a bout of ill health, she returned to Singapore in 1968, marking the end of her acting career.

In Singapore, Madhavi Krishnan became one of the founding members of the Singapore National Dance and Theatre Company (1970-1985), an initiative by the then Ministry of Culture aimed at fostering a national identity through the arts. As part of the company, she embarked on world tours as a cultural Ambassador throughout the 1970s and 80s, participating in events such as the Adelaide Festival of Arts in 1972 and the Soviet Union Cultural Exchange Programme in 1973. Madhavi Krishnan's distinctive dance presentations and cross-cultural collaborations are recognised for their portrayal of Singapore’s cultural diversity. In 1972, at the Adelaide Festival of Arts, she presented 'Thaipusam,' a piece that showcased the multi-ethnic dance traditions of Singapore. In 1976, she collaborated with Malay artist Mohd Naim Pani and Chinese artist Wong Tew Chin to create the 'Fisherfolk' dance, which effectively engaged multicultural audiences. Her adaptation of the myth of Lord Siva, as 'Basmasura and Mohini,' in 1976 is also noteworthy. Another significant production by her was 'Meera's Dream' in 1985, a performance that intertwined elements of ballet and opera, and even incorporated the English language into its production. These innovative works underscore Madhavi Krishnan’s commitment to exploring and celebrating cultural diversity through the art of dance.

Since the 1980s, she has dedicated herself to teaching dance at various local dance schools and conducting private classes. Madhavi Krishnan was honoured as one of the six inaugural recipients of the Cultural Medallion in 1980, making her the only Indian and female awardee among the recipients. In 2022, she was inducted into the Indian Hall of Fame in Singapore. She migrated with her family to Perth, Australia, in 2001.



For more information
“Cultural Medallion 1979 - Madhavi Krishnan”. Arts House Limited. Accessed on 1 August 2025. https://artshouselimited.sg/ourcmstoryrecipients/madhavikrishnan  
“Dance Girl”. The Singapore Free Press, 22 December 1960, 3. (From NewspaperSG)
“A Good Deed By The Dancing Cousins”. (1961, January 19). The Singapore Free Press, 19 January 1961, 6. (From NewspaperSG)
“Typhoid fever that changed Madhavi.” New Nation, 27 June 1973, 10. (From NewspaperSG)
“The magic of Madhavi.” The Business Times, 26 June 1978, 6. (From NewspaperSG)
“Dance.” The Business Times, 2 October 1978, 40. (From NewspaperSG)
“6 artistes win Ministry of Culture awards.” The Straits Times, 2 February 1980, 11. (From NewspaperSG)
“Four strike silver for 15 years’ service.” The Straits Times, 21 November 1987, 39. (From NewspaperSG)
“Madhavi Krishnan.” Indian Hall of Fame Singapore. Accessed on 1 August 2025. https://indianhalloffame.sg/?page_id=20671
Pillai, Gopinath, and K Kesavapany. 50 Years of Indian Community in Singapore. WORLD SCIENTIFIC eBooks, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1142/9961 

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The information in this article is valid as of August 2025 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. If you have any feedback on this article, please submit here.