Indian Classical Dance: The Renaissance and Beyond About the Author Leela Venkataraman's career as a writer on Dance began in 1980 as dance critic for The National Herald and later the Patriot. Associated with the dailyThe Hindu for over thirty years, her Friday Review column has earned her a wide reputation for her incisive commentary on the dance scene. Widely travelled, she has been a regular participant in dance seminars in India and abroad.A prolific writer and regular contributor to dance journals like Nartanam andSruti, she is the author of books Tradition in Transition, Step by Step Bharatanatyam, A Dancing Phenomenon - Birju Maharaj and a book commissioned by the Children's Book Trust on Indian Classical Dances. Her work and contribution have earned her the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.