• As Artistic Director of Arangham Dance Theatre conducts research and documentation of a tenth century dance tradition – Arayer Sevai and an ancient thirteenth century ritual theatre tradition – Kaisiki Natakam.
• Co-produces and Co-Artistic Director of India’s only annual avant-garde arts Festival in Chennai, THE OTHER FESTIVAL
• Founder & Consulting Editor of www.narthaki.com
• An active board member on many Indian and international dance and theatre companies
• Currently a Ph.D candidate in women’s studies, doing research on the role of ancient ritual theatre in a contemporary context.
• Trained in Bharatanatyam (1969–1978) and the Kerala dance-theatre traditions of Mohiniattam (1968–1978) and Kathakali (1968–1978).
• Anita as a performer and choreographer, embraces both the traditional and contemporary streams of Indian dance which she has presented widely in India and abroad. She is also a respected and sought-after cultural commentator on dance and Indian culture.
• She has been invited to chair seminars and dance conferences around the world. In 2002, she was invited as an observer to the Post Modern Dance Festival at Leipzig, Germany (2002)

• Sree Bharathalaya , Chennai.
• Sri Krishna Gana Sabha,Chennai.
• RASA, Chennai.
• Prakriti Foundation ,Chennai.
• Alliance Francaise de Madras.
• The British Council.
• US Office of Public Affairs.
• Max Mueller Bhavan.
• Committee for Endowments to Cultural Institutions, Govt. of India (1996-98).

• NATYA KIREETA RATNAM AWARD for services to the field of dance and ritual performances, (2005)
• SAHRUDAYA RANJAKA Bharat Vikas Parishad, Chennai, presented by Srimad Azhagiyasingar, the 45th Seer of Sri Ahobila Mutt, (2004) Nungambakkam Cultural Academy, (2004)
• PRICE AWARDShakespeare Millennium Club, Chennai (2004)
• WEB AWARDS 2004 – GOLD Amsterdam, Holland For www.anitaratnam.com (2004)
• ALTERNATIVE POETRY WORLD COMPETITION – FIRST PRIZE
  Aberdeen, Scotland
  For www.anitaratnam.com(2004)
• INDEPENDENT ART HOUSE WEBSITE FESTIVAL –FIRST PRIZE
  Stockholm,Sweden
  For www.anitaratnam.com 2004
• LALITHAKALA RATNA
  Sri Lalithakala Academy Foundation Trust (Inc.), Mysore, (2003)
• NATYA RATNA
  Sri Shanmukhananda Sangeeta Sabha, New Delhi, (2003)
• VIBRANT INDIAN AWARD
  Developers’ India, Chennai (2002)
• BHARATHA KALA RATHINAM
  presented by Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetadhipathi Jagathguru Sri Sankaracharya Swamigal, Kancheepuram, (2001)
• WOMAN OF THE YEAR 2000
  Citation awarded to 200 best women professionals by the American Biographical Institute, North Carolina, USA
• KALAIMANI
  (For Dance Research) Government of Tamilnadu, Chennai, (1998)
• UGADI PURASKAR
  Telugu Academy, Chennai, (1997)
• NRITYA CHOODAMANI
  Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, Chennai, (1996)
• SENIOR FELLOWSHIP
  from Department of Culture, Govt. of India for research in the Tamil Vaishnavite Temple dance tradition of Arayer Sevai, (1996)
• BHARATA KALA RATNA
  Chennai, (1995)
• MEDIA ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
  New York by National Organization of Women (1991)
• OUTSTANDING TV AMBASSADOR
  Cleveland, USA by Federation of Indian Associations (1988)
• MAHATMA GANDHI AWARD
  for Cultural Understanding, New York, (1986)
• SINGARMANI
  Mumbai, (1975)
• ARUT KALAI SELVI
  Government of Tamilnadu, (1974)
• SUR SINGAR SANSAD
  Mumbai, (1971)
• NRITYAKALA SHIROMANI
  UNESCO Award for Outstanding Young Artiste, (1970)

• Dance Alloy (Pittsburgh, USA)
• Pangea World Theatre (Minneapolis, USA)
• Everett Dance Theatre (Rhode Island, USA)
• Lotus Music & Dance (New York, USA)
• Anjali School of Performing Arts (Houston, USA)
• Sampradaya Dance Creations (Ontario, Canada)
• Freeman Repertory Theatre (New York, USA)
• Apsara Arts (Singapore)

MEMBER:- International Advisory Board, Pangea World Theatre, Minneapolis, USA,
– International Advisory Board, Preaksha Dance, Toronto, Canada
– Dance Critics Association – USA, (1987)
OBSERVER – Post Modern Dance Festival, Leipzig, Germany (2002)