Aler Krishnan (Abinaya Arts Academy)
512-345-2537
Aler Krishnan is an accomplished BharataNatyam teacher and dancer. She has been in the field of Bharathanatyam for over 2 decades. Aler started learning Bharathanatyam from Guru Smt Indra Rajan in the Pandanallur style of dance; renowned for its intricate footwork. Later she continued her training under Vidwan Pandanallur B.Srinivasa Pillai. Ever since her debut in 1983, Aler has won much critical acclaim for her dance purity and execution, and has been recognized with numerous awards. With the sponsorship of the prestigious Sangeet Natak Academy, she has given performances at cultural exchange programmes all over India. She received a scholarship from the Government of India to learn the art of Nattuvangam (conducting of cymbals), and has undergone dance teacher's training from Dr. Padma Subramanyam. She is also a graded Doordharshan (Indian television) artiste, and has been featured in many television programmes in India. Aler currently runs her dance school, Abinaya Arts Academy in Austin, TX. Besides her dance career, she has a Masters in Mathematics from Anna University, India and Master of Business Administration from University of Texas at Austin. She is also a business strategist with Motorola, Austin.
Amjad Rahman
512-731-4222
Performing artist and teacher of North Indian Classical Music, Amjad Rahman is one of the foremost disciples of India's renowned musician Pt. Prof. N. V. Pattwardhan (Gwalior gharana) for more then ten years. Amjad has a Bachelors, Masters and M. Phil Degrees in Indian Classical Music from Maharaja Sayajirao University Baroda and Delhi University in India. Amjad has been giving concerts and workshops throughout India, Europe, Canada and through out the United States.
Anuradha Naimpally (Tanjore Performing Arts)
512-795-8627
Anuradha Naimpally is an exquisite classical Indian dancer of the Bharata Natyam style, who has won numerous international awards. Her mesmerizing performances gained her the recognition as "Best Dancer" in 2000 by the Austin Area Critics' Circle. She learned her first steps under Dr. Menaka Thakkar of Toronto. Love for dance brought her back to India to study professionally under Gurus Venugopal and Jayashree Pillai of Bombay. Later she also studied with Acharya Parvati Kumar and briefly with Dr. Padma Subrahmaniam. Anuradha has been performing worldwide for over 25 years. In 1989 she was awarded the prestigious Jacqueline LeMieux Prize by the Canada Council, making her the only Indian classical dancer to receive this high honor. She was bestowed the title of Sringar Mani, "Artistic Jewel", in Bombay after her performance at the Kal-Ke-Kalakar Festival in 1990. She has been on the faculty of various universities around Austin, such as University of Texas, St. Edward's, Southwestern, and currently, Austin Community College. In Austin, she has been a teacher with Ballet Austin's Leaps and No Bounds Program in AISD schools. Through One World Theatre, she presents assembly performances on Indian dance and culture in Austin area schools. She teaches Bharata Natyam technique through her organization, Tanjore Performing Arts. http://www.anunaimpally.com
Balaji Narasimhan
512-238-1606
Shri Balaji Narasimhan, hails from Srirangam, a famous religious center in Tamil Nadu, India. He had his initial training at the age of eight under Shri Hariharan, and then from Shri Embar Lakshminarasimhan (Brother of harikatha expert Shri Embar Vijayaragavachariar) and Shri Harikumar, All India Radio, Tiruchirapalli. He had his "Arangetram" in 1987 and started accompanying many artists both vocal and instrumental in Tamilnadu and other places in various sabhas. He has participated in Thyagaraja Aaradhana festivals held at Thiruvaiyaru and Srirangam. He has accompanied for many dance programs in Trichirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India. He received a talent search scholarship from Government of India for imparting specialized course for a period of 6 years. He is a B-high grade Mirudangam Artist of All India Radio, Trichirapalli, Tamil Nadu. He came under the tutelage of the popular Mirudangam maestro at Chennai - Shri Karaikudi R.Mani before coming over to the United States. He has performed on Doordarshan - Chennai as an accompanist both for vocal and Thalavadyam. He is currently accompanying for Vocal, Instrumental and Dance programs.
Bana Ramanath
Bana Ramanath who has been teaching in Texas for more than 15 years directs and teaches all Natyanjali classes in San Antonio and Austin. She has been trained in India by Guru late Vidhwan Chandrashekhar and Gurus Padmashri The Dhananjayans. She has taken natuvangam and abhinaya classes with Padmashri Adyar K. Lakshman and the abhinaya exponent Padma Bhushan Smt.Kalanidhi Narayanan, respectively. Bana has performed extensively in India as a cultural delegate of the government and in many states of USA. She is a performing artist on the roster for the Texas Commission on the Arts and currently performs and conducts workshops in colleges, universities, and special events all over Texas. She has received financial awards from the city of San Antonio and the state of Texas to produce and choreograph dance festivals and dance productions. Bana has been very successful in integrating Indian dance, music, and culture into the American mainstream through her work "Temple Dance of India - a Universal Language" Bana Currently teaches classical and folk dances of India in San Antonio and Austin and "Dances of India" informal classes at the University of Texas in Austin. http://www.natyanjali.net
D. B. Ashvin
512-481-1255
D.B. Ashvin is the Grandson of Kalaimamani Late Shri.T.K.Rangachary a doyen of carnatic music. He has been under the tutelage of Shri. Vairamangalam Laksminarayanan for the past 15 years. He has performed extensively in various sabhas and major cities in India and has many awards to his credit including best vocalist award from the Music Academy and Krishna Gana Sabha to name a few. He is currently doing his masters in Manufacturing systems at the University of Texas at Austin. http://webspace.utexas.edu/~ashvindb
Geetha Narasimhan
512-671-8814
Geetha Narasimhan started learning Music from her mother Smt. Kamala Narasimhan at the tender age of 3 1/2 yrs. She has learned carnatic music under different gurus namely S.K. Vasumathi, Usha Chary, Janaki Raman, Sivarama Kodudula and continues to take lessons from various artists visiting Austin, TX. Her first concert was in Gaana Kala Parishat, Bangalore at the age of 9. She has won various awards in music and have been giving lessons for the past 8 yrs. Location: Round Rock.
Hema Raja
512-288-3842
Hema Raja is a proficient Bharathanatyam dancer and teacher having received her training since the age of 6. Her early training was received under Smt. Muthulakshmi, an eminent dancer from the temple town of Srivilliputtur, India. Hema Raja has given numerous stage performances both in India and in the U.S. She received prizes and awards for her performances. Hema Raja is also a certified Yoga instructor from Swami Vivekananda Yoga Center, Chennai. Her passion to propagate Indian classical dance and Yoga takes her back to India every year to update her training under renowned artists. Hema has been teaching Bharathanatyam, Semi classical dance and Yoga for more than five years in Southwest Austin and is currently accepting students of all ages
Hema Ravichchandar
Hema started learning Veena and Vocal at the age of eleven.from Mrs Kannamma Rengarajan, Mr Koviladi Rengarajan and Ms. Kala Rengarajan. Hema has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Indian Music from University of Madras. Hema has given performances in All India Radio, Trichy and has been teaching Carnatic music since 1985.
Mrudula Naveen
512-670-5479
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Mrudula Naveen has been pursuing the divine art form of Bharata Natyam for more than two decades. She was initiated to this divine art at the age of two and a half under the guidance of Smt. Sujatha Ramalingam (nee Parashuraman), student of Shree K. Adayar Laxman, Kalakshetra. She gave her maiden performance (Arangetram) at the age of five and half in Chennai. Subsequently, she started learning from Smt. Sugandhi Subramaniam of Natanapriya, student of Shree Kalasadan Mani, Mumbai. Under her guidance, she gave many performances in and around Mumbai. Currently, she is a disciple of Guru Smt.Rajee Narayan, founder-director Nritya Geethanjali. She has given various solo as well as group performances in Mumbai and Chennai under her tutelage. She started a branch of Nritya Geetanjali at Thane, Mumbai in the year 2001. She has been learning Carnatic music under Guru Smt. Padma Ganapathy, Thane, Mumbai for many years. She gave her maiden concert in 1999, at Thane.
Recent performances include:
Navaratri celebrations of October 2005 in Sunnyvale.
As a part of "Sanhiti", a South Indian dance troupe, she participated in the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival and has performed in events held in the bay area.
Short performances in July and August - Vigraha Pratishta function at Austin Hindu Temple; ICC Independence Day function.
Bhajan concerts at Fremont temple, Badrikashram and Sunnyvale Hindu temple, California.
Currently classes are being conducted for dance (Bharatanatyam and folk) and music (Carnatic and bhajans).
Mythili Srinivasan
512-335-3409
Mythily Srinivasan started learning music from age 9 under the guidance of violinist Mr. Kuppuswamy Iyer and Manakkal Varadarajan. Later she took lessons from Ms. Visalam Venkatachalam, Radha Venkatachalam and others. As resident of Raleigh, North Carolina since 1987, she has been actively engaged in providing Carnatic music lessons for the local Indian community. Many of her students have won distinguished awards in Carnatic music from various cultural organizations in USA. While living in Raleigh, Mythily Srinivasan has not only been teaching music to over 50 students, she was actively managing several cultural organizations. She was the president of Indian Classical Music and Dance Society of NC for several years. She is a founder and patron of Ragasudha, a cultural organization in Raleigh. She was also the founder of Aradhana Group of Music. She initiated the Thyagaraja Aradhana Festival and Annamacharya Day in Raleigh and they are actively progressing for over a decade. She has organized and participated in several fund raising programs like dance dramas, Taranginis, bhajans in various languages in the Carolinas. She has been the recipient of numerous awards for promoting Carnatic classical and light music in India and USA.
Poornima Rao
Poornima started learning classical vocal from her mother Vijaya Subramhanyam as a child and took Veena training for over 14 yrs, initially from Sister Sangeetha Srinidhi and advanced training from Vidwan. A.V. Prakash; a reknowned flautist. She has also had lessons in Kannada bhavageethe and light music under Smt. H.R. Leelavathi (President, Sangeetha nrithya academy). A recipient of National talent scholorship, Poornima is a graded AIR and doordarshan artist with various prizes and awards to her credit.
Revathi Ravi
512-252-9582
Revathi Ravi has been teaching music for the past 15 years. She was trained by Sri Bellary Venkateshachar and Sri Vishwanatha Iyer of Mysore and by Papanasam Smt Rukmini Ramani of Madras. Location: Pflugerville
Snigdha Mishra
512-257-9170
Profile: Founder and Director of the Raagini School of Music. Instruction in Vocal music (Hindustani classical, Semi Classical, Bhajan, Sanskrit Shlokas and Compositions, Folk Songs and Light Compositions). Children especially welcome. Snigdha is a Sangeet Visharad in Hindustani Classical Music from Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Pune. Snigdha trained under her mother, Arati Mishra, who is a well known exponent of Hindustani classical and Odissi classical music. Snigdha has given numerous performances in India, Europe and the U.S.
Seshatre Natarajan
512-349-9881
Vani Arvind is a Carnatic Classical Vocalist hailing from Mysore. She started learning vocal at the young age of 5 years under the guidance of Late Vidushi Smt. R. Jalajakshamma, who was a disciple of Karnataka Kalatilaka Vidwan Late Sri S.M. Mariyappa. Vani rendered her first concert at the age of 10. She is a B-high grade artist of All India Radio, Mysore. She has composed kritis and bhajans in Kannada and Hindi. She has been teaching devarnamas in addition to Carnatic vocal since 1995. She continues to get guidance from Vidushi Smt. R. Leelavathi and Vidushi Smt. Bharathi.
Vinitha Subramanian (Natyalaya School of Dance)
254-913-7643
Natyalaya School of Dance is dedicated to the teaching and propagation of Indian Classical Dancing particularly Bharatanatyam. We try to inculcate the love of dancing so that every child can realize its full potential in the art of dancing. Mrs Vinitha Subramanian , the director has been a teacher in the Central Texas area for over 20 years. Many students of Natyalaya have gone on to make their mark as dancers all over the US. Natyalaya has several dance dramas to their credit: Basmasura Mohini, Seetha Kalyanam, Aru Padai Veedu, Raja Rajeshwari, Prahala Bhakthi Vijayam to name a few. Students actively participate in the annual recital and in many cultural events in the Central Texas region. Classes are held in the Asian American Cultural Center on Jollyville Rd. With 4 teachers and classes for all levels of students, Natyalaya offers a flexible schedule for today's busy world.