A senior bharatanatyam dancer, Lakshmi Vishvanathan was initiated in the art by Shrimati Kaushalya of the Vazhuvoor school. Subsequently she learnt under Ganeshan Pillai and Sankar and finally came under the tutelage of vidwan Kanchipuram Ellappa Pillai. She also received training in Carnatic music and learnt Padams from T.Mukta. From Guru Vempati Chinna Satyam she received training in kuchipudi dance.
Lakshmi Vishvanathan has been performing in India and abroad since the 1970s and is a notable artist specializing in abhinaya. She is also a choreographer, teacher and writer on dance. Her productions Vata Vriksha and Chatmanga have received wide appreciation.
A recipient of the title Nritya Chudamani, Lakshmi Vishvanathan has been convenor of the Natya Kala Conference in Madras for two years. She has also conducted dance workshops in Europe and the United States. She has published a book on Bharatnatyam, Bharatanatyam: The Tamil heritage and a film on the subject, The Poetry of Dance.