**Citation** I present to you, Sir, Smt. Balasaraswati. Smt. Balasaraswati comes of a long line of renowned hereditary performers of classical music and dance. Her mother. Jayammal, was a musician in her own right and her grandmother was the celebrated Veena Dhanammal. Smt. Balasaraswati received training in Bharata Natyam from Kandappa Pillai. Born in 1918, Smt. Balasaraswati has put in over 50 years of memorable work as a professional dancer of Bharata Natyam. She has earned the highest acclaim for her art, particularly for the soulful intensity of her Abhinaya rendering. She has the additional qualification of being as felicitous a singer as she is a dancer. Smt. Balasaraswati has performed very extensively, both in India and abroad. She has participated in several cultural events of international importance, such as the East-West Encounter at Tokyo, in 1961, and the Edinburgh Music Festival, in 1963. From 1962 she is having regular teaching assignments in