Students

STUDENTS AND ALUMNI

Ananya Anand has been a student of Bharathanatyam since the age of six. For her, Bharathanatyam serves as a deep connection to her culture and religion. Bharathanatyam allows Ananya to transcend the trivial, daily problems of life. Exploring the intricate emotions of Abhinaya pieces and reveling in the rigor of nritta (pure dance), Ananya has matured both as a dancer and a human being. Ananya hopes to continue to improve under the guidance of her guru. She completed her Arangetram at Saratoga High School on June 28, 2009.

Namrata Anand has been learning Bharathanatyam for the past ten years. During this time, she has developed a deep love for this art form. In addition to honing her spiritual and cultural values, Namrata’s guru has taught her numerous life lessons. The control, power, grace, and discipline that a dancer needs also translates to daily life; learning Bharathanatyam has compelled Namrata to strive to achieve these virtues and utilize them in all of her undertakings. While the journey has not always been easy, dancing has been a rewarding experience for Namrata. She looks forward to continuing Bharathanatyam throughout her life. She completed her Arangetram at Saratoga High School on June 28, 2009.

Vedika Narayanan started learning Bharathanatyam at the age of six. She has grown to enjoy the art form, the learning process and is curious about the deeper meanings of all aspects of the dance. Preparing for her arangetram taught her discipline and an appreciation for the level of understanding required to successfully present this art. Learning Bharathanatyam has increased her expressive abilities, and provided her with a creative way to stay true to her heritage. Vedika performed her Arangetram on Aug 19, 2007 at Cubberley Center Theater, Palo Alto, CA. Her Arangetram was presided over by Prof.George Hart (Department Chair, South East Asian Department, Univ. of Berkeley).

Aditi Narayanan has been learning Bharathanatyam for the past nine years. During that time, the art form has given her a better understanding of Hindu mythology and culture. She has developed a deeper interest for the intricacies and nuances of this dynamic dance form. Through the years, Aditi has also come to realize how much work and dedication it takes to learn Bharathanatyam. Learning to use facial expressions in dance has opened her mind to all the subtleties that exist in the wide range of human emotions. However, she still likes the fact that the rhythmical part of the dance provides an outlet for all her energy. Aditi performed her Arangetram on Aug 19, 2007 at Cubberley Center Theater, Palo Alto, CA and wishes to continue dancing for years to come.

Chinmayi Bettadapur has been an ardent student of Bharathanatyam and Carnatic vocal music from the tender age of five. A valedictorian from Lynbrook High School, she attended the University of California, Berkeley. Chinmayi has lead several cultural events on her college campus as well as in her community. Her Bharathanatyam Arangetram on Aug.13, 2006 at Santa Clara University, Meyer Theater was received with accolades for her expressive abilities. Chinmayi has given several solo Bharathanatyam recitals since her Arangetram at the Sunnyvale Temple and Sanathana Darma Kendra Dussera Festivals (2006), Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan - Chennai Dance and Music Season (2006), and at the Gayana Samaj Theater in Bangalore. Chinmayi continues to develop her artistic skills at Sadhana while putting her Computer and Business Administration degree to use as a software engineer at Cisco Systems in San Jose.

Samika Savanur’s interest in dance began at a very early age. She was first exposed to Bharathanatyam when she watched her older cousin perfrom her Arangetram. Samika enjoys the many aspects of Bharathanatyam such as the expression of emotions as well as the combination of rigorous and delicate movements. Dance has provided Samika with a deeper understanding of her culture as well as an appreciation that it takes discipline, inner strength, and determination to pursue this art form. Samika has performed at various venues across the bay area and has won several dance competitions. Her Arangetram on Aug. 21, 2005 at the Santa Clara Convention Center was presided over by Guru Sridhar (Bangalore, India) who spoke highly of her technical and expressive abilities.

Aditi Bellary was inspired to learn dance by her visit to Samika’s dance class. In Aditi’s eyes, dance exemplifies ingenuity and eloquence. To her, the preparation for a dance recital, a journey that explores the nuances and technicalities of this ancient art form, was an enlightening experience. Aditi values discipline and vigor which are essential elements of Bharathanatyam. Studying dance has enriched her range of creative expression. Aditi has performed at various venues across the bay area and has won several dance competitions. Aditi’s Arangetram performance on Aug. 21, 2005 at the Santa Clara Convention Center was appreciated by audiences for her dancing and narrative abilities.

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Clockwise - (From Bottom Rt) Samika Savanur, Aditi Bellary, Chinmayi Bettadapur, Vedika Narayanan, Aditi Narayanan; Center - Savitha Sastry
Poster Design: SDA Multimedia

words on their guru

- Savitha has impressed us with her sincere, methodical and involved approach to teaching dance. Just the fact that the child looks forward to class each time is evidence enough of her effective teaching skills. Her incorporation of the time tested elements of yoga to make the body flexible and the mind focussed is the most unique aspect of Savitha's teaching method. Above all, she treats each student with love, affection and understanding of individual needs. We consider ourselves truly blessed that our daughter has Savitha for her teacher.
-Balachanders

-Savitha is an exceptional teacher who personifies passion, something that we admire in her and hope Aditi (daughter) will be inspired to follow. Savitha gives all of herself to the student, the art form, to striving for perfection and to inspire the student to stretch and experience. She is a wonderful role model.
-Aruna Bellary

-Words cannot explain her passion for Bharatanatyam. As a teacher, she devotes a great deal of her time and energy focusing on each and every student during class making sure they perfect each movement and/or expression. Her talent is remarkable and her ingenuity in developing a fresh take on Bharathanatyam is impressive. Each dance item I have learned is not just a set of ordinary steps and simple expressions--each piece is filled with complex movements and difficult but "real" emotions. Not only does she teach the Bharathanatyam, but she helps her student's understand the meaning of each dance. She knows each student's dancing range, but still encourages them to practice, perfect, and perform difficult pieces. Her patience and teaching methods are admirable. She always strives for the best and she always has faith in her students.
-Samika Savanur

- Above all, I found her passion for dance to be truly contagious. Before she was my teacher, I considered Bharathanatyam as yet another one of my many pursuits. But her love for dance had a profound impact on me - her captivating teaching style combined with her innovative choreography drew me in. In me she instilled a rigorous approach to dance, provided me with an outlet for my own creative expression, and challenged me by setting high standards. Her immense dedication and efforts in identifying and building on my strengths and weaknesses made my Arangetram one of the most wonderful experiences of my life.
-Aditi Bellary