Deepa Kartha

🪔 About

Deepa Kartha is a distinguished Indian classical dancer, choreographer, and educator, proficient in Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Mohiniyattam, and Kuchipudi. She received her initial training in Bharatanatyam under Usha Menon, an alumna of Kalakshetra, and further honed her skills with N. S. Jayalakshmy and the late Vijayalakshmy Krishnaswamy, both also from Kalakshetra. Her Mohiniyattam training was under Kala Vijayan, and she learned Kuchipudi from Kalamandalam Mohana Tulasi. Deepa Kartha later expanded her repertoire to include Kathak, studying under Tushar Bhatt in Bangalore and subsequently under Guru Parwati Dutta, a disciple of the legendary Pt. Birju Maharajji. As a student, Deepa Kartha achieved significant recognition, securing the second prize for Bharatanatyam at the State Youth Festival in 1993, and first prizes for Bharatanatyam at the M.G. University Youth Festival in both 1994 and 1996. She also won the first prize for Mohiniyattam at the M.G. University Youth Festival in 1996. Deepa Kartha is the founder and head of the Rudra Performing Arts Centre, also known as Rudra School of Classical Dances, located in Kochi, India, where she imparts training in Kathak and other classical dance forms to hundreds of students. She began teaching Kathak around 2009. Her students have also achieved success in state-level competitions. She has performed at esteemed venues such as the Margazhi Mahotsav in Chennai in 1996 and the Mahabalipuram Festival in 2012. Deepa Kartha is also actively involved in choreography, having conceived and staged productions like "Varam Sakthi" in Kochi in 2026. She is currently pursuing an MFA in Bharatanatyam through distance education from Bharathidasan University. Awards & Honours: Second prize for Bharatanatyam (1993), First prize for Bharatanatyam (1994), First prize for Bharatanatyam (1996), First prize for Mohiniyattam (1996).