Saturday, August 23, 2025

Event 1: From the Artist’s Eyes – Harinie Jeevitha
11 am – 12.30 pm PDT

This interactive immersive session offers something for everyone—art lovers, aspiring dancers, and performing artists alike. If you’ve ever wanted to engage with the incredible Harinie Jeevitha but never had the chance, this is the perfect opportunity. Harinie will share insights into her sadhana (practice) and artistic journey, including her creative approach to a selected piece from her repertoire. Dancers will get the chance to learn an excerpt from the piece, while art enthusiasts will gain a deeper appreciation for the nuances and details that inform her work—enhancing their experience when they see her perform later in the day.

Event 2: Hare Rama Hare Krishna:
Ensemble Choreography by Kalaimani Smt. Anitha Guha
2pm – 3.30pm PDT

IDIA is delighted to present a grand thematic mārgam directed by Kalaimamani Anitha Guha, featuring talented young Bharatanatyam students from the San Francisco Bay Area. Titled Hare Rama Hare Krishna, this work beautifully blends the structure of a traditional mārgam with vibrant storytelling and dramatization. Conceived as a garland of compositions by renowned vāggeyakāras devoted to Rama and Krishna bhakti, this evergreen production has been showcased at prestigious venues including the Konark Festival, Khajuraho Dance Festival, and for India’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism Board. For IDIA, it is presented under the guidance of her senior disciple, Priyanka Raghuraman—a Bay Area-based performer and teacher.

This unique production will be brought to life by dedicated Bay Area youth who are actively pursuing advanced training in Bharatanatyam: Aditi Anand, Advika Anand, Ananya Shoda, Kriti Achyutuni, Laranya Mohan, Leela Ganapathi, Raksha Parakulam, Samyuktha Swaminathan, Srinidhi Viswanathan, and Vidyuth Pasumarathi.

We are delighted that Priyanka Raghuraman, a senior disciple of Smt. Anitha Guha, and an artist in her own right, is mentoring these youth artists for this production.

Smt. Anitha Guha, a renowned Bharatanatyam teacher based in Chennai, trained under her mother and her guru, Sri Govindarajan Pillai. As a Choreographer, she is widely acclaimed for her spellbinding works. In 1989, she founded Bharathanjali, through which she has trained numerous accomplished performers. Her mythological Nritya-Nāṭakams have been presented at prestigious venues across India and around the world.

Event 3: Thematic Echoes in Tamil Poetry: Nirupama Vaidyanathan
3.30pm – 4pm PDT

This talk will explore the use of motifs and narrative themes in Tamil verse across the ages. By understanding the context in which word-images appear, dancers and rasikas can deepen their appreciation of the confluence and richness within our art forms.

Event 4: Varadarajam Upasmahe: Harinie Jeevitha
5pm – 6.30pm PDT

VARADARĀJAM UPĀSMAHE is a solo thematic production centered on the Brahmotsavam—the grand ten-day annual temple festival—of the Varadaraja Swamy temple in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu. Structured in the traditional Bharatanatyam margam format, the presentation captures the majesty of the utsavam, the resplendent spectacle of the kulukkal (processional sway) of the utsava mūrti, and the divine presence of the Lord who resides in the sacred temple town of Kanchipuram.

Harinie Jeevitha has carved a distinct space for herself as a soloist among her generation of Bharatanatyam artistes, distinguished by her unwavering dedication and profound devotion to the art. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and a Master’s in Bharatanatyam from Tamil University, Thanjavur. Her performances have resonated with rasikas around the world and garnered praise from scholars and connoisseurs of the form.

Event 5: Leela Sangama: Directed by Padmashri Leela Samson
7pm – 8.30pm PDT

Leela Sangama is a specially curated Bharatanatyam presentation performed by seven dancers from the Bay Area, under the artistic guidance of renowned choreographer Leela Samson. This production brings together a thoughtfully selected repertoire—an exploration of tradition and creativity through movement, music, and poetry.

Drawing from a wide range of compositions—including Abhangs, Jāvalis, works of Carnatic Trinity, the poetry of Kabir, and contemporary pieces—Leela Sangama weaves a rich tapestry of emotion, devotion, and artistic nuance.

Showcasing Leela Samson’s signature group choreography, the presentation balances individual expression with ensemble harmony. Through refined movements and intricate formations, the dancers evoke powerful moments. a celestial wedding, the exuberant dance of Shiva’s attendants, the tranquil flow of a sacred river, and the deeply felt emotional landscapes of human experience. The result is a cohesive, layered performance that reflects the depth, versatility, and timeless resonance of Bharatanatyam.

Leela Samson is a renowned Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer, instructor, and writer from India. As a soloist she is known for her technical virtuosity and has taught Bharatanatyam at Shriram Bhartiya Kala Kendra and Gandharva Mahavidyalaya in Delhi for many years, and has taught Bharatanatyam across the world, including at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, and the annual Milapfest at Manchester. Over the years she has performed across India, Europe, Africa and the Americas. She was appointed as the chairperson of the Sangeet Natak Akademi in August 2010, and has received numerous awards including the Padma Shri (1990), the Sanskriti, Nritya Choodamani, Kalaimamani (2005) given by Government of Tamil Nadu, and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1999–2000) for contributions to Bharatanatyam.

Akshaya Ganesh’s passion for the arts was nurtured from a young age in a family of artists and musicians. She trained in Bharatanatyam under her mother and guru, Indumathy Ganesh, Artistic Director of Nrithyollasa Dance Academy, where she is the lead dancer and prime disciple. Akshaya has performed in and helped choreograph several productions, including KrishnAnubhavam, Antaryami, and Nrithyamala. She also collaborates with Bay Area artists and lends her expertise in nattuvangam for Nrithyollasa and other schools. A versatile artist, Akshaya holds a B.S. with a double major in Theater and Dance and performs with local theater companies. She continues to explore Kathak and contemporary dance, seeking to bridge classical technique with modern expression.

Swathi Ramesh, an accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer from the Bay Area, began her training in the Bay Area and completed her Arangetram under the late Smt. Padmini Ramachandran in Bangalore. She continues her advanced training with Smt. Shirisha Shashank in Chennai. Swathi has performed at prestigious events such as the Smaran Dance Festival and the Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana, and has been part of acclaimed productions including Earth Speaks by Samudra Dance Creations and Storm, a video work selected for the Erasing Borders Festival. In 2025, she performed in Draupadi and Jwala by Abhinaya Dance Company. She remains an active performer and student, contributing to the dance communities in both the Bay Area and India.

Soumya Tilak, an established Bharatanatyam soloist, is a prime disciple of Guru Dr. Vijay Madhavan. Her dance style embodies grace, musicality, rhythmic brilliance and subtle nuances, lending an old-world charm.

Over the years, Soumya has carved out a name for herself in the sabha circuits in Chennai and is regularly featuring in prestigious festivals in India, She has received the Best Dancer Award from Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha and VDS Arts Academy in recent years.

Now based in San Jose, CA, Soumya aims to establish herself amidst the vibrant local art scene, carrying forward her unique Bharatanatyam style and mentoring the next generation.

Aishwarya Raman, a disciple of Kalayogi Guru Smt. Vandya Srinath has been performing Bharatanatyam for over 25 years. She has performed extensively at prestigious platforms in India, UAE, Canada and the US. Some of her major performances include SFIAF, Momentum Festival Toronto, ICCR, Kannada Kootas of UAE, Shilparamam Hyderabad, Udupi Paryaya, etc. She is also a freelance dancer who has collaborated with various dance companies. In addition, she is an able nattuvanaar who has supported several dancers both in India and the US.

Aditya Iswara is trained in Bharatanatyam, Carnatic Music, and Mridangam. He is a disciple of Sri Poovalur Sriji, for Mridangam and Kanjira, Sri Vittal Ramamurthy for Carnatic Violin, and his mother, Smt. Vani Iswara for Bharatanatyam.

Aditya has been a regular performer of Bharatantyam and percussion across the country.

Vinay Srinivasan has studied Bharathanatyam under Smt. Hema & Krithika Rajagopalan for the past 21 years. Having completed his Arangetram in August 2007, Vinay has toured & performed as both a solo artist & with the acclaimed Natya Dance Theatre at various prestigious venues both national & international — to name a few: the Chase Manhattan Plaza, NYC; the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park; The Harris Theatre; DCA’s Storefront Theater; the December Music Festival in Chennai, India. His training in Carnatic music helps enhance his understanding of Bharatanatyam and discovering compositions that could lend themselves to dance. Vinay is also a studio artist, and loves learning about and exploring symbolism in ancient Dravidian art and architecture.

Sukanya Kumar is a professional practitioner of Bharatanatyam and Kathak, a full time performer, choreographer and educator. She has performed in many prestigious Indian, US and International venues, both as a solo performer and in collaboration. Her credentials include 25th Spirit of Youth ‘Best Dancer Award’ from The Music Academy Madras, ‘Best Dancer’ from Indian Fine Arts Society, ‘Artistic Excellence’ from Sri Krishna Gana Sabha and titles like the ‘Natya Chudar’ from Kartik Fine Arts, ‘Yuva Kala Bharathi’ (All Rounder award) from Bharat Kalachar, ‘Natya Ratna’, ‘Nalanda Nritya Nipuna’, and ‘Natana Bhushan’, to name a few.

Sukanya is a Creative Culturist and choreographer, focusing on interdisciplinary research, innovation and collaboration. With her background in Media studies, Sukanya is skilled in implementing electronic media technology in her productions. Being a competent writer, she also uses dance to propagate social messages. Academically qualified with four masters degrees in varied fields, the latest being MFA in Dance and Technology from UC Irvine, she has been teaching mainstream dance students and children with special needs for nearly two decades.