Esther Jenny Keshava

🪔 About

Esther Jenny Keshava, a prominent Swiss-Indian classical dancer and yoga teacher, was born in Basel, Switzerland, into an artistic family. Her mother was the renowned Swiss storyteller Trudi Gerster, and her father, Walter Jenny, a chemistry professor. From a young age, Esther Jenny pursued singing and dancing, and also acted on stage. At 18, captivated by an Indian dance performance, she embarked on a journey to India to study the art form. Beginning in 1969, Esther Jenny became the first European to formally study Bharatanatyam at the Fine Arts College in Mysore, South India. She received rigorous training from esteemed gurus, including Padmashri Dr. Venkatalakshamma, a representative of a respected temple dancer dynasty, and Vidwan D. Keshava, who would later become her husband. In 1974, she successfully completed her Arangetram, her debut solo performance of the complete Bharatanatyam repertoire. During her time in India, Esther Jenny also trained extensively in yoga. She became a certified yoga teacher under the tutelage of renowned gurus such as Sri K. Pattabhi Jois at the Asthanga Yoga Research Institute in Mysore, and further studied with Yogiraj Deshikacharya and B.N.S. Iyengar. In 1976, Esther Jenny and Vidwan D. Keshava established the Kalasri School of Yoga and Indian Dance in Basel, Switzerland, marking it as the first institution of its kind in the country. Together, as the "Esther and Keshava" dancing couple, they pioneered the introduction and promotion of Indian classical dance and culture across Switzerland and other European nations, including Germany, Italy, France, and Austria, through countless performances and tours. Esther Jenny Keshava continues to teach yoga, meditation, and prenatal yoga at the Kalasri Institution. Her legacy extends through her children, Anjali, Ananda, and Sumitra Keshava, who have also become dancers and teachers, continuing the family's artistic and cultural contributions.