Milena Salvini

• Noted Kathakali dancer Milena Salvini passed away on 25 January 2022.
• Born in Italy, she was a great enthusiast of Indian classical art, especially Kathakali.
• She arrived in Kerala in 1965 to learn Kathakali, had established Centre Mandapa, a school of Indian dance forms in Paris, which flourished as a learning centre.
• She sponsored Kathakali troupes from Kerala and arranged stage performances in many European countries. This helped to increase the acceptance of Indian classical dance in the West.
• In 2019, she was awarded India's fourth highest civilian award, the Padma Shri.