Shantona Bag

Who is Shantona Bag?

Dr Shantona Bag is an Australian qualified medical practitioner and an internationally performing classical dancer often touted as the ‘dancing doctor’.

Shantona is of Malaysian Indian descent and classically trained in the Indian dance forms Odissi and Bharata Natyam. Since the age of seven, she has been under the tutelage of well known guru and artistic director Ramli Ibrahim at the Sutra Dance Theatre in Malaysia.

In 2007 she completed her solo Bharata Natyam Arangetram, a graduation ceremony amongst dancers, titled ‘Storming Destiny’. For this she received a 2007 nomination for the Kakiseni Arts Award.

As a dancer she has performed internationally throughout India, Malaysia, Australia, Estonia and Finland.

Amidst this dancing career, Shantona completed a demanding Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree at the University of New South Wales Australia in 2009. In late 2011, she completed her medical internship at St George Hospital, Australia.

Other accolades include nominations for the Malaysian Cleo Young Achievers Award 2008.

Shantona has currently taken time off from her medical career to tour India with Odissi and Bharata Natyam performances.