A gifted classical Bharatanatyam dancer with many international performances and winner of prestigious awards. Santosh began training under his sister, and father the late Gemini T R Gopalakrishnan Nair (disciple of the legendry Uday Shankar) at the tender age of four. He continued his training with Kalamandiram Shymala Ravindran and Kalakshetra Rekha Sanu (lecturer of Kalashetra) for 13 years. He then pursued his skill by joining Kalakshetra College of Fine Arts Chennai. Among a few, he then got selected to do his postgraduation in Bharatanatyam and Carnatic Vocal. Thereafter he became a guest artist of Kalakshetra and a teacher for 3 years. Santosh has also learnt Mohiniattam from Kalamandalam Kshemavathy in Kerala and Gopika Varma in Chennai.

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He had also learnt Kuchupudi from the legendry Vempatti Chinasatyha and Mosali Kanti Kishor. He then moved to Hong Kong as a dance teacher in ‘Yoga Plus’ and then became a visiting scholar at the University of Hong Kong. He was also the artistic director of Passion India, a Hong Kong-based company, created to promote Indian Classical Dance and Yoga In 2003. Santosh established his own institution; Kshetra Dance Company to promote the traditional Kalakshetra style of Bharatanatyam, and to also provide discipline in a more cultured way to all age groups.