Sujatha Srinivasan

Sujatha Srinivasan practices one of the older traditions of Bharatanatyam, the Vazhuvoor lineage (bani), which emphasizes musicality in movements coupled with precise yet graceful footwork, and intricate abhinaya (facial movements) accompany both pure dance (nritta) segments and storytelling (natya) segments. In her quest to bring the most to her art that she can, Sujatha has also learnt to play the Mridangam, a Carnatic (South Indian classical music) drum that provides the deep notes for the dancer’s feet. She has also learned Sanskrit and Tamil to better interpret and convey elevated concepts from the Vedas and old Tamil texts, as well as stories and poems ancient and modern, and yoga. Traditionally, Bharatanatyam was performed exclusively by women and was passed down through generations within families or taught by gurus (teachers) in the guru-shishya parampara (teacher-disciple tradition). However, in modern times, men have also embraced this art form, making significant contributions to its evolution. Sujatha has taught not only females and males but students of all races and genders. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, Bharatanatyam serves as a medium for spiritual expression, storytelling, and the portrayal of tales from Indian scriptures like the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Each movement, gesture, and expression in Bharatanatyam is laden with symbolism and deeper meaning, allowing the performer to convey profound emotions and narratives to the audience. Much of Sujatha’s journey in performance, teaching, and choreography has been in this space, conveying ancient stories and cultural traditions, some of which span millennia.

After moving to Ohio in the early 1990’s for her husband’s career, Sujatha found herself in a city that was far away from the center of the art form she practiced, and in a region of the world where Bharatanatyam was largely unknow and the Indian community too sparse to support regular performances. She reinvented herself as a teacher and has provided foundational study of Indian cultural roots to two generations of American children of Indian origin. More than 400 students have been taught by Sujatha, and many of her students have gone on to establish their own dance schools. For the past 12 years, Sujatha has choreographed and presented between three and six students for arangetram each year and taken them on a tour in highly discerning (and critical) audiences in Southern India. In addition, over the past 30 years she has created new or collaborated on more than 40 productions.

In addition to teaching six days a week to a diverse group of students and maintaining her own dance practice, she has collaborated with a wide variety of community, scholarly, and cultural organizations. Because of her innovative spirit she has been invited to share her work at prestigious institutions like the Cleveland Museum of Art, Conservancy for the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Maltz Performing Arts Center, and Playhouse Square.