At the tender age of seven, Malavika began her studies in dance training under the expert tutelage of Guru Kalyanasundaram of the Tanjavur School. Later on she advanced her training under the tutelage of Guru Rajaratnam of the Vazhuvoor School. Under Guru Kalanidhi Narayanan, she also studied abhinaya. Malavika imbibed the Odissi dance style from Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra and Guru Ramani Jena.
For the first time at the age of twelve years, she has performed in Mumbai. For more than two and a half decades, Malavika has been performing to many and different audiences in cities and towns all over India. She is a firm believer in the persistence of the Indian classical tradition. That is why Malavika presents Bharata Natyam as a vivacious and significant dance form of today to the audiences all around the world. From the eyes of a foreign critic as observed, `Malavika`s most remarkable achievement is her ability to obey the rules of Bharata Natyam, yet bring non-specialist viewers close to its heartbeat by making every moment seem personal, spontaneous and even contemporary`.
The Times of India, The Indian Express, The Hindustan Times, The Hindu, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Le Monde, Le Figaro, The Washington Post, The Independent, The Guardian, The Sunday Herald the leading newspapers and their critics applauded `Malavika`s performances throughout India and abroad. The BBC / WNET television, in a 9 hour series on world dance made a documentary on Malavika`s exceptional artistry. The documentary was titled as `Dancing`. The Government of India has also given official approval to make a film `Samarpanam`, on her life and work. Saroja Kamakshi has been closely associated with Malavika`s dance career. Saroja has also worked with her as creative collaborator in the areas of `conceptualization and presentation`.
Throughout her professional career, Malavika has been awarded with several honors. To name a few are: Padma Shree from the President of India, Kalaimamani from the State Government, Mrinalini Sarabhai Award for Excellence in Classical Dance, Nrityachoodamani from Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, Awards from Sanskriti, Haridas Sammelan. SNA award for 2002 by Central Sangeet Natak Akademi, Delhi, Senior Fellowships and Production Grants from Department of Culture, Government of India for creating new work and extending the repertoire.
Malavika is not just a dancer but also a promising choreographer. Ideally she blended the classical style of the dance with the sheer contemporary theme. Quite ideally therefore, Malavika Sarukkai`s performance stand as an event of utter grandeur.
She has received both national and international applause for her distinct choreography. . This style has been marked as an unmistakably rich and acute style, which aggregates `dynamism and grace`, `austerity and passion`, `energy and repose`.
For Malavika, choreographing Bharatnatyam with diverse themes has always been a creative journey, a learning process and a challenge. Major Thematic Productions are done by her; to name a few are: Krishna Rtu Krida (`a celebration of the Leelas of Krishna in the six seasons`), Fireflies (`a multi-media performance piece, an exploration of sringara, the man-woman relationship, through English text, miniature painting and dance`), Srinkhala (`An ongoing exploration of our links with the environment, Srinkhala looks at spaces, outer and inner`), Khajuraho (`tribute to its millennium, a homage to the temples which resonate with the sacred and celebrate the secular`), Uthkanta (`An exploration of the emotion of longing. In Uthkanta lesser known voices speak, across time and space, of expectation and yearning`), Kasi Yatra, the journey of a courtesan of Benaras (`Kasi Yatra is a story of the celebration of life at its many levels`).
At significant venues in the capitals of more than 25 countries across the world, Malavika has presented her unique style of Bharata Natyam.. She has danced at major dance festival in India too. To name a few: Khajuraho, Ellora, Tanjavur, Varanasi, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Bhopal, Bangalore; The Music Academy, Krishna Gana Sabha, Chennai; Sangeet Natak Academy, Delhi; The National Centre for Performing Arts, Nehru Centre, Mumbai; Dover Lane, Kalamandir, Kolkatta; ITC - Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore.
