Divya Devaguptapu

🪔 About

Divya Devaguptapu is an internationally recognized Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer, and educator, based in San Diego, California, and Chennai, India. Born in India, she began her Bharatanatyam training at the age of four and made her debut performance in Mumbai at seven years old. Her early training included studies under Kamala Iyengar and Minal Prabhu. To further her dance education, her parents relocated to Chennai, where she became a senior disciple of the renowned Gurus V.P. Dhananjayan and Shanta Dhananjayan. She also received training in Carnatic Music, which significantly influences her highly musical dance style. Devaguptapu started touring with her gurus' dance company from the age of eleven. In 2001, she moved to the United States to pursue a degree in engineering, earning a Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering from the University of Madras and a Master's from the University of Southern California. However, her profound passion for dance led her to leave a corporate engineering career to dedicate herself full-time to Bharatanatyam in 2009, dividing her time between India and the US for performances and tours. Critically acclaimed for her pure dance technique and thought-provoking choreography, Divya Devaguptapu is considered an important voice in contemporary Bharatanatyam. Her work is deeply rooted in traditional frameworks while incorporating contemporary thought. She is a passionate educator, having taught Bharatanatyam at the University of California San Diego and served as a teaching artist with organizations like Young Audiences of America. She mentors numerous students at Sannidhi Performing Arts in San Diego, many of whom have performed their Arangetrams and toured with her. As a keen researcher, she has created choreographies based on rare Indian literary works. In 2023, she co-founded Niyantri, a music and dance company, with musician Ranjani Ramakrishnan, focusing on the transformative power of art. Their collaborative dance film, “Soham-The Swan,” was selected for several international dance film festivals, including the Lincoln Center in New York. Divya also serves as the Artistic Director of the Suryakala Foundation for Performing Arts in Chennai, a non-profit dedicated to promoting classical music and dance, and curates the "Ekam" festival of Bharatanatyam solos.