Among the leading dancers of Bharatanatyam, S.Kanaka was trained by Vazhuvoor Ramaiah Pillai from a very young age and subsequently by S.K.Rajaratnam Pillai in Madras. Later she moved to Delhi where she established herself during the 1970s as a dancer of consummate artistry.

Kanaka is known as much for her graceful and quick paced nrita as for her sensitive abhinaya. She is perhaps among the last of a generation of dancers who imbibed the dynamics and beauty of Vazhvoor’s style and projected it successfully. She excels in elaborate and leisurely exposition of abhinaya bringing forth the subtle nuances of the text. The grandeur of Kanaka’s bharatanatyam is a delight for connoisseurs.

Kanaka has worked with Sanskrit and Tamil Scholars to explore early love poems for dance. She has choreographed dance-dramas based on Kalidasa’s works like Kumarasambhavam and Malavikagnimitram. She has performed widely, and has also concentrated on imparting training to a younger generation of dancers.

Kanaka has received the title of Nritya choodamani from Shri Krishna Gana Sabha, Chennai, and has received the Sahitya Kala Parishad Award of Delhi in 1995.