"TAPASYA" - pray for a soul

Shruti Ramachandran

Shruti Ramachandran started learning Bharathanatyam at the age of five while she and her family still lived in Chennai, India. Since moving to the U.S., Shruti was under the tutelage of Smt. Radha Ganesan for 12 years at the Natya Nilayam School in Maryland. She received an extensive level of training in the Rajarajeswari style and performed her Arangetram in 1999. Shruti performed numerous solo and group performances for a variety of religious and cultural events in the greater D.C. metropolitan area. In the summer of 2001, she had the esteemed privilege of being one of the principal dancers in “Creeda”, a dance production directed by Shri C.V. Chandrasekhar. The training she received from Shri C.V. Chandrasekhar marked her introduction to the world of Kalakshetra.

 Shruti recently graduated with a double masters degree in public health and international development from the University of Pittsburgh. Since moving to Atlanta to start a post-graduate fellowship with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Shruti has renewed her exploration of the tenets of Kalakshetra by becoming a student of Guru Preeti Vinayak Shah at The Narasimha Academy of Arts. Preeti has been instrumental in reconditioning Shruti to the intense training required of Bharathanatyam.

 A few words from Shruti:

“Since joining the Narasimha Academy of Arts last fall, I have a new found passion and respect for this age old Indian art form. Learning from Preeti has been nothing less than a pleasure.   Preeti has been a great source of inspiration for me as her masterful skills in Bharathanatyam, carnatic music, and nattuvangam remind me of the diverse skill set and strong commitment that is required of a true dancer. My dedication to Bharathanatyam has only grown since I began working on Tapasya. Education is the best gift you can give a child and dancing on behalf of Ekal Vidyalaya and the work they do for underprivileged children in India is an honor.”