one of the very few direct disciples of the doyen Alathur Venkatesa Iyer. She is considered as the
living heir to the Alathur style. She started as a performer when she was bearly twelve. She is a
perfectionist to the core and is a highly respected performer and teacher. Even while she was a
student with her teacher, he permitted her to deputize him in training several of his senior disciples.
Mrs. Sundaresan lives in the UK and tours all over the world spreading the tradition of Carnatic
Music by way of concerts, lecture-demos and teaching sessions. She has performed in important
concert platforms in India, the UK, Europe and the US. She continuously gives
lecture-demonstrations and workshops on various aspects of laya (rhythm) which is an important
facet of the Alathur style. She is also appreciated for her capacity in handling with ease and
spontaneity, even the Janya Raagas and Melakartha Raagas and singing them elaborately with
extempore imagination. Leela Rammohan Rao has the good fortune of being the daughter and
disciple of this great musician and continuing the highly classical and sought after Alathur tradition of
Carnatic Music.
and popularized the art of Bharatnatyam among kings and commons.
Guru Vazhuvur Ramiah Pillai was one of most renowned teachers ever remembered for his style in
the field of Bharatnatyam.. He developed a stream of well-known dancers and dance Gurus who
reign as top performers and teachers in the present day. Popular stalwarts such as Kamala
Narayanan, Padma Subramaniam, Chitra Viveswaran, Vyjayanthimala Bali, Leela Rammohan and
several others were his direct disciples. Leela Rammohan is among the very few dancers among her
peers to have had the extraordinary opportunity of being the direct disciple of this legendary master
and having trained from him extensively.
Senior teachers such as Guru K J Sarasa, Guru Rajaratnam Pillai, Guru Kameswaran were trained
by him and several of them have created a legend in the field of Bharatnatyam and created students
who are famous professional dancers spread all over the world.
The Vazhuvur Bani or style is highly graceful and rich in rhythm. It is packed with sculpture-like
movements bringing the walls and pillars of the South Indian temples alive.
She was taught by her Guru specially in the art of conducting recitals and becoming a teacher of the
art of Bharatnatyam. She is probably the first lady to have conducted nattuvangam (art of
conducting a dance recital). She is a highly acclaimed choreographer and has tremendous control
over rhythm. Her students consider it a privilege to be tutored by her. She is a perfectionist and
believes greatly in combining aesthetic beauty and the scientific aspects of Bharatnatyam in
developing her students.
Several of the top reigning dancers, choreographers and teachers are her students. She was
acclaimed as the best teacher in the field of Bharatnatyam in the year 2002. She moulded her
students not only as qualified performers, but also as future choreographers and teachers. Leela
Rammohan had the unique opportunity of being a student of this great teacher for several years.
Mrs. Sarasa is the recipient of several awards and accolades such as Kalaimamani, Natyaperoli,
Natya Kalanidhi , Natyakalachakravarthini and many more.
learnt abhinaya from Mylapore Gowri Amma and Chinnaya Naidu. At a very young age she started
presenting several performances, invariably as benefit shows in support of worthwhile causes. She
had left the arena of dancing after she got married and emerged after 30 years as a teacher of
Abhinaya (art of expressions).
In 1980, thanks to the prompting and participation of Sri. Y.G. Doraiswamy, Smt. Kalanidhi started a
formal school for teaching Bharatanatyam, with emphasis on abhinaya and named it Abhinayasudha.
She is a teacher par excellence who brings the depth of emotions in the form of expressions instantly
communicated to the audience. Most of the top dancers who consider this aspect of dance as special
are her students. Leela Rammohan trained from the great teacher and also under her senior student
Anuradha Jaganathan for several years.
Smt. Kalanidhi has received prestigious awards such as Padma Bhushan, Nritya Choodamani,
Sangeet Natak Akademi award, Kalaimamani and Kalidas Samman . She gives lecture
demonstrations and workshops on Abhinaya all over the world to the benefit of dance lovers and
students
