Having worked on over 800 feature films, Sivasankar has won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Choreographer for Poove Unakkaga, Vishwa Thulasi, Varalaru and Uliyin Osai. Sivasankar won the National Film Award for Best Choreography for his work in S. S. Rajamouli's historical drama Magadheera, with the jury noting he was rewarded "for breath taking energy and innovation" in the song "Dheera Dheera Dheera". His experience at the official ceremony was reported in the media after he was critical of the delay in allowing him into the venue..In 2003, his super-fast choreography of super hit song Manmadha Raasa for Thiruda Thirudi film was widely talked about. In 2013, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from New International Christian University, Bangalore for his services to dance. Sivasankar has also appeared in acting roles, notably starring as Ajith Kumar's dance instructor in K. S. Ravikumar's Varalaru. The choreographer was asked to design the dance sequences but also the action sequences and the overall body language of Ajith, to depict him in a feminine way. He later portrayed the role of a Christian missionary in Bala's period drama Paradesi, who works to convert the religion of naive tea workers.
Personal life
Dance Master Sivasankar was born in Govindappa Naicken Street,Parrys,Chennai on 07 December 1948 to Kalyana Sundaram and Komala amal. His father was wholesale fruit vendor in Kothawal Chavadi. He suffered backbone fracture at very young age due to an accident for which he suffered till 8 years of age under extensive care by his aunts. He was home schooled.But later years he studied in Hindu Theological Higher Secondary School, Sowcarpet. Lately He attributes his feminine mannerism as he grew up without outside world contact where women in family were taking care of him mostly.His father was highly skilled with immense knowledge in Carnatic music & Astrology.But very strict with his children's. By fortune, while his father attended carnatic music festival, Sivashankar was asked to go for drama & dance festivals to represent him.This inspired Master to learn dance. He learnt basics in dance from Natraj & Sakunthala, Mylapore. Later, he joined assistant to Dance Master Saleem in 1974. In a letter of desperation in June 2016, Sivasankar wrote to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa and pleaded for her intervention in the alleged harassment of his former daughter-in-law. He lamented that Jayalalitha should save his family from committing mass suicides due to extreme harassment and humiliation caused by his former daughter-in-law.
