Samudra is based in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala. This research centre was founded in 1998 by joint choreographers and directors, Madhu Gopinath and Vakkom Sajeev, both of whom are trained in Bharatanatyam (South Indian classical dance), Kalaripayattu (martial art form of Kerala) and Yoga (including rope practices). Madhu and Sajeev have been awarded the Best Choreographers Award by the Government of Kerala and the Film Critics Association for the film – ‘Raathrimazha’ and for the same film; they won the National Award also.

Samudra have completed three major choreographic works - 'The Sound of Silence', 'Jalam' and ‘Rhythm’ which have been performed widely and won high acclaim from national and international critics.  Samudra also choreographed and danced in 'The Fakir of Benares' (an Indo - French opera project), and have collaborated on numerous Indian dramatic works, most notably 'Maramarayattom', 'Sidhartha' and 'Medini Vennilavu'.  Currently Samudra is working on their fourth production named ‘The Cosmic Dance of Siva’ which is to be premiered at the Samudra Festival in Trivandrum on the 24th January 2009.

Internationally, Samudra  have performed at The International Summer Theatre Festival in Hamburg, Germany, The Hong Kong Asian Festival (1998), Iddac Dance and Music Festival, Royal Opera House in London in September 2001, Spoleto Festival – Italy 2001, 2002 & 2007, Indian Events in Spain, Portugal, UK & France, Bonn Biennale Festival (2005), Edinburgh Festival – Scotland (2006), Frankfurt Book Festival (2006), Srilankan Indian Community Festival (2007), Soorya Youth Festival in 12 countries, etc.  Samudra have also performed in many Indian festivals like the Soorya Festival, Attakalari Festival, Uday Sankar Satabdi Samaroh Festival, Sangeeth Natak Akademi Festival in Manipur, etc.  In 2001, with IFA (Chaali Project), they toured 23 villages of South India, performed, conducted workshops and lecture demonstrations in 60 venues.  They have also choreographed and danced in an Indo – French collaborative opera work named ‘The Fakir of Benares’ which was staged in Delhi and Mumbai.  Recently they choreographed for National Inaugural function for the Celebration commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the First War of Independence 1857, 100 years of Satyagraha and 60 Years of Freedom for India which was a Project of the Asian Heritage Foundation.