Best Indian Dance Classes and Studios in Cerritos, CA

From the Business:Namaste everyone, Shivalee has trained in the Lucknow Gharana Style of Kathak from a young age under the tutelage of her Guru, Srimati Anuradha Nag, for over 20 years. She has attended regular workshops with the late Pt. Birju Maharajji and Saswati Sen Didi. She has represented Anuradha Didi’s School in the Bay Area, The Tarangini School of Kathak Dance, through various shows including: The Ethnic Dance Festival in San Francisco The International Kathak Festival in Chicago The Indian Music Circle, in Dallas, TX The Festival of the Silk Road Kalamahotsav in the Bay Area to name a few highlights of her many previous and ongoing performances. At Tarangini, Shivalee also regularly assisted in teaching and choreographing for over 10 classes per week. Apart from teaching kathak classes, Shivalee also began studying movement and choreography in 2016 with video production creation presented on Youtube. This work involved creating and working with Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, Oddisi, and Salsa dancers. Shivalee also promotes her choreography through workshops and has choreographed for several events. Shivalee is also the recipient of the 2016 Indian Raga Fellowship being the first Kathak dancer to attend. Now married and living in Southern California, Shivalee is embarking on a new journey and starting her own Kathak School with the ongoing guidance of her guru. Kathak has been both a source of constancy in her life and a fueling creative outlet. She hopes to pass on all that her guru has so endearingly taught her and carry this artform forward. Shivalee also hopes to continue choreographing and expanding her knowledge of movement and creation. For more background on Shivalee’s Guru, Srimati Anuradha Nag, and the legacy of dance Shivalee comes from, please visit our website. Shivalee is serving the Cerritos and Irvine Areas. Please find additional information at our Dance class website.Read more

From the Business:Based in Southern California, Rangashree Dances of India offers performances and classes in Bharatanatyam and various folk dance styles. Rangashree emphasizes authentic and dignified presentations of traditional dance forms, eliciting sincerity from the dancer, and respect from the audience. Rangashree's dancers and students perform most often in California, but in recent years have appeared in Kansas City, Atlanta, and Italy.Classes are offered at various locations in the Los Angeles area. Most students are from the sizeable Indian community here, but non-Indians are encouraged to join. Because India's dance traditions are inseparable from its culture, dance classes include an element of cutural immersion.Rangashree is directed by Paulomi Pandit, an accomplished dancer and an alumna of the Kalakshetra Institute in Chennai, India. Paulomi practices and teaches Bharatanatyam in the Kalakshetra style, emphasizing refinement and purity. Having grown up in Gujarat, a region of India known for its love of dancing, Paulomi is an expert at various styles of folk dancing, and has choreographed a number of award-winning dances.A professional folk dance troupe developed by Paulomi is active in India, and it shares the Rangashree name. Based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and now led by Avani Pandit, the Rangashree troupe performs throughout India, and frequently overseas. The first section of this page describes the progression of a Bharatanatyam dance student at Rangashree. Developing dancers go through various stages or milestones, which are beginners or children, intermediates, advanced students, the arangetram, post arangetram students, and experts doing further study.Read more

From the Business:Anvita Sharma, has been performing various styles of dance since the age of 11. She has performed at numerous events and venues including Madison Square Gardens with Pt Birju Maharaji’s Dance troupe, JPL, USC Pacifica Asia Museum, Mumbai Sister Cities, IJWD, Rath Yatra Festival in Venice Beach and solos with live musicians. She has enjoyed teaching in the community since 2007, watching students grow from young children to adults. Although she has taught various dance styles including Bhangra, Bollywood and Fusion, she now focuses exclusively on Kathak. She teaches both children and adults, spreading this special part of Indian culture however she can. Anvita has over 20 years of training in Kathak, continues to learn under her Guru Rachana Upadhyay and her second Guru Srimati Durga Arya. Anvita is also a member of Indian Performing Arts Center (IPAC), a non-profit organization which strives to preserve Indian culture through dance. She offers Kathak classes in LA and Orange County, throughout the week for ages 5 and up. Classes are available for all levels on various days of the week in Irvine, Anaheim, Pasadena and Mid-City LA. Students of the academy are given opportunities to perform at various venues around the greater Los Angeles area and all students are also requested to perform at the Academy's Annual Show, Nritya Sandhya. For further details, please submit the form below with your details. We look forward to bringing a part of our culture into yours and your family's lives.Read more

From the Business:The Nrityodaya Kathak Academy, of Los Angeles, United States of America, established in 1989, is a sanctuary of the arts devoted to preserving the culture of Kathak dance and classical Indian art. The founder and director of the academy, Smt. Bhairavi Kumar, began her formal training in the Institution of Pt Nikhil Gosh under the guidance of Smt. Shivani Pandya, a Ghanda Bhandan shagrid of Pt. Lacchu Maharaji of the Lucknow gharana. Bhairavi Kumar’s training continued under Smt. Uma Dogra, disciple of Pt. Durgalalji of the Jaipur gharana. She has performed in numerous countries including India, Africa, Canada, and throughout the US. Smt. Bhairavi Kumar has been teaching Kathak in and around Los Angeles for over twenty five years and has earned a distinguished reputation as a traditional and dedicated teacher-performer of Kathak amongst her colleagues and pupils. The academy is dedicated to educate, research, and bring diversity to the community through innovating dance and performance. In addition to performances at numerous events and festivals, the Nrityodaya Kathak Academy organizes and produces a bi-annual dance production. The Nrityodaya Kathak Academy has had the honor to host the Legendary Pt Birju Maharji for his 75th anniversary tour, Concert of the Legend, as well as multiple workshops with the legend himself and his prestigious shagirds. The academy has recently had the privilege of a workshop with the Smt. Jayanti Malaji, shagird of the legendary Queen of Kathak Smt. Sitara Devi. Recent highlights of her incredible journey include performing at the Ganesh Festival in Los Angeles, The Food & Wine Festival at Disney California Adventure, Anantha: Infinite Possibilities performed at Mt. San Antonio College, and “India’s Fabled City: the Art of Courtly Lucknow” performed at LACMA. Smt. Bhairavi Kumar and her 5 most senior disciples toured throughout various cities in India and won first place at Bharat Sanskriti UTSAV 2014, a five day international competition in Burdwan, India.Read more

From the Business:Natyanjali School of Bharatanatyam is offering classes in: West Covina, Upland, and Chino Hills. One of the leading exponents of Bharata Natyam in Los Angeles, California. Preserving a dance tradition over 35 years! Dr. Malini Krishnamurthi is the Artistic Director of the Natyanjali School of Dance in West Covina, Upland and Chino Hills, California. An exponent in Bharata Natyam, Malini is an acclaimed performer with many noteworthy performances to her credit in the U.S. India and Europe. Malini is regarded as a superb choreographer and an exceptional teacher who has transformed many young children into passionate and superb dancers. Malini’s students are testimonials of her ability as a meticulous teacher. In recognition of her contribution to the local community, the Hindu Temple Society of Southern California has awarded her the title of ‘Asthaana Vidushi’ which means ‘community’s scholar.’ Malini was initiated in this art at an early age and has trained intensively for several decades under Kalaimamani Guru Sri. Kalyanasundaram of the Sri Rajarajeshwari Bharata Natyam Kala Mandir-Bombay, India. Besides dance, Malini has had formal training in classical Carnatic music for over several decades. In addition to dance which is her passion, Malini is an academician who teaches Management Information Systems in the Steven G. Mihaylo College of Business and Economics at the California State University at Fullerton, in the city of Fullerton California. Assistant instructors: Priya Sharma, Shrinithi Kalai, and Purna Venugopalan.Read more