Smt. Chitra Vinodh
Chitra Vinodh, a gifted and highly talented danseuse, has great command of the art form whether you are an aficionado or a layman. Her journey in this art form commenced under the able guidance of her mother Guru Smt Jayanthi Thyagarajan. She continued her dance endeavour under the tutelage of renowned dance couple Karnataka Kalasree Guru Sri Kiran Subramaniam and Smt. Sandhya Kiran and performed her Arangetram. She completed her Vidwath under the guidance of Karnataka Kalasree Guru B.Bhanumati under whom she continues her training.
As part of her dance troupe Bharatanjali she has extensively toured the country for myriad performances. Under the able guidance of Vidwan N.Naryanaswamy, Chitra gained knowledge on different aspects of Rhythm. She is now further honing her mastery over the art of Nattuvangam in depth a well as imbibing the nuances of Rhythm under the tutelage of Guru Vidwan Sri.Lingaraju. She has earned her Master’s Degree in Fine Arts (MFA) from Bharatidasan University.
A proud recipient of the “KALAYOGI” Puraskara from the ICCR, Bangalore, she is an accomplished graded Doordarshan artiste. Having over 800 odd performances to her credit, Chitra has had the privilege of performing at several prestigious dance festivals such as Iskcon Brahmotsav, Nadaneerajanam – Tirumala, Golden Temple Vellore, Narthana Keerthana, Sharadotsav, Narada Gana Sabha (Chennai), ICCR, Kalakshetra Foundation (Chennai), Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Kannada Cultural events, and Navaratri Festival at various temples.
Deeply grounded in the vazhavoor style, Chitra propogates the true essence of dance to many budding talents at her institute – Natyavedalaya (Chitra Centre for Performing Arts). Emphasizing on aesthetic and technical aspects of the art, she has choreographed and presented ballets such as the Sita Kalyanam, Krishnaashtakam, Dashavatharam & Shades of Love for which she attained great critical acclaim. In her continuous endeavor to explore newer dimensions of the art her unique production “Samashti” which is a confluence of Carnatic Music and intricately woven patterns of rhythm brought her fame among the dance fraternity.
Chitra has imbibed the pure and aesthetic concepts of Bharatanatyam to her students and has successfully trained them for Arangetrams. Many of them have successfully appeared for various Dance examinations and a handful of them have been selected as graded artistes in Doordarshan.
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Smt. Jayanthy Thyagarajan
Three decades ago, a vision that started off with a motto to foster spirit and impart training to a couple of students in Bharatanatyam has blossomed into one of Bangalore’s most vibrant and dynamic institutions in the field of dance. Gracefully glowing at its pinnacle, Chitra Centre for performing Arts was a thought envisioned by a great teacher and mentor-Guru Smt Jayanthi Thyagarajan.
Smt Jayanthi Thyagarajan received her initial training in the Kalamandalam style of dance from Guru Smt Nirmala Narayanan, Thripunithura, Kerala following which she laid the foundation for a great institution in the year 1981 by the name Chitra Nrithyashala in Bangalore. Students were trained in Bharathanatyam and Mohiniattom as well as in Kaikottikali and Oppana, variant folk dances of Kerala.
Talent and passion are qualities that lie in the genes of every human. This statement particularly holds true in Smt Jayanthi Thyagarajan’s career as she owes her interest in art to her mother Smt Kamakshi Ammal, an exponent in Kaikottikali. A very artistic person, she was also involved in designing costumes and jewellery for dancers.
With an immensely supportive family and a wide section of well wishers she was successful in managing the institution. Smt Jayanthi Thyagarajan was very fortunate to get the support of her brother Vidwan Sri N Narayanaswamy, a highly accomplished and eminent Mridangam Artist. She has now handed over the responsibility to her daughter Guru Smt Chitra Vinodh who has taken the institute to greater heights with every passing year.
It is a matter of great pride and honour for Smt Jayanthi to witness some of her initial bunch of students established as successful dancers running their own dance institutions.
As a Guru, she is known for her patience and committed approach towards training students. Her friendly attitude with students and parents alike makes her a favorite teacher and a very loving person.
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Guru Smt. Sudha Chandrasekhar
"Bharatha Kala Shreshta" Smt. Sudha Chandrasekhar (Doraiswamy) stands as a world-renowned performer and Guru of Bharathanatyam whose artistic journey began in 1943 at the Rupatayan Institute in Bombay with Manipuri and Kathak training. In 1945, she embarked on her study of traditional Thanjavur style Bharathanatyam under the masters of Sri Rajarajeshwari Bharatha Natya Kala Mandir, culminating in her Arangetram in 1956. Her dedication to artistic purity and meticulous execution has established her among the all-time greats of both Bharathanatyam and Kuchipudi.
During her formative years, she received the prestigious Government of India Scholarship for Advanced Training, studying under distinguished gurus including Sri Thiruvadamaradur Kuppiah Pillai, Guru T.K. Mahalingam Pillai and Guru K. Kalyanasundaram. In 1958, her parents founded Nritya Sudha's Hindu Temple Rhythms (HTR) in Mumbai, which later relocated to Oak Park, Michigan in 1978. Under her leadership, along with her daughters Vidya, Anjali, and Anandini, HTR has evolved into a premier institution for Indian classical performing arts, with satellite centers across the United States including Florida, Massachusetts, Washington State, North Carolina, and the D.C. Metro/Baltimore area.
Throughout her illustrious career spanning over six decades, Sudha has given more than 7,000 performances worldwide, conducted 150 arangetrams, and presented numerous workshops and seminars internationally. Her contributions have been recognized with multiple Lifetime Achievement Awards, including the prestigious 'Nitya Seva Mani' title in 2010.
Now at 85, Guru Sudha Chandrasekhar continues to actively teach, preserving and promoting this divine art form with unwavering dedication. Her outstanding vision and leadership have helped countless students understand, appreciate, and maintain the purity of Bharatanatyam, while consistently supporting charitable causes and temples, making her a true living legend in classical Indian dance whose influence extends far beyond the stage into community building and cultural preservation.
Visit WebsiteSneha currently refines her practice under the guidance of Smt. Gayathri Vignesh at Nrithya Kala Aradhana, further deepening her mastery of the Vazhavoor bani.