Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam is a legendary Bharatanatyam dancer and the director of Nrithyodaya, the dance school founded in 1942 by her father, Sri. K. Subrahmanyam, in Chennai.

Encouraged by her father, Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam started learning under Kausalya who was a young teacher at Nrithyodaya. Later, she came under the wings of Guru Sri. Vazhuvoor Ramiah Pillai and had her Arangetram in 1956. Recognizing her talent, her father helped her further her capabilities. From Sri. Dandayuthapani Pillai, she learnt adavus, from Gowri Ammal she learnt Abhinaya. From various devadasis, she learnt 150 different adavus. Thus began her research.

Dr. Subrahmanyam has a Bachelor's degree in Music, a Master's in Ethno Musicology and a Ph.D. in dance from Annamalai University. As a research scholar she did her thesis on "Karanas in Indian dance and sculpture" and focused on the concept that the 108 Karanas (which are the basic units of dance) are actually movements and not just static poses.

After extensive research, Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam theorized that the Karanas as depicted on temple facades were not merely static postures but were actually complete movements. What we see on the temple facades are more like photographs capturing each Karana at a particular point in the movement. Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam has devoted many years to combining Sage Bharata's description of the Sthana, Chari and Nrtta Hasta that make up each Karana to recreate the complete movement of each of the 108 Karanas as described in the Natyasastra.