Nayana Shenoy

🪔 About

Nayana Shenoy is a distinguished Bharatanatyam exponent and a dedicated educator, known for her commitment to preserving the traditional form of this classical Indian dance. Her journey in Bharatanatyam commenced at the tender age of eight under the tutelage of her revered Guru, Natya Kala Saraswati, Smt. Jayalakshmi Alva. Shenoy achieved her Arangetram in 1994, an event notably evaluated by Padma Bhushan Dr. Padma Subramanyam, marking her formal debut as a Bharatanatyam dancer. Throughout her career, Nayana Shenoy has graced numerous stages, performing at various temple festivals and participating in significant dance ballets. She notably portrayed Lord Rama in “Navagraha,” Lord Krishna in “Nrithya Govindam,” and Goddess Parvati in “Vasanthavalli,” all choreographed by her Guru. Her performances have been showcased at prestigious venues including the National Centre for Performing Arts Tamil Sangam, Lalit Kala Academy-Mysore, Nritya Parinotsav-Bangalore, Ravindra Kalakshetra, ABHAI Chennai, and the Temple Dance Festival of Dharmastala. Nayana Shenoy is the Artistic Director of Shivam School of Dance, an institution she founded in San Jose, California, dedicated to imparting Bharatanatyam in its purest form to the younger generation. She also holds a directorial role at Sridevi Nrithya Kendra, the school established by her parents, Smt. Jayalakshmi Alva. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes discipline, perfection, and a deep understanding of the art form, as evidenced by numerous testimonials from her students and their parents. Her contributions to Bharatanatyam have been recognized with several accolades, including “Natya Kala Saraswathi,” “Karnataka Kala Tilaka,” “Rajyotsava Award,” “Stree Ratna,” “Nrithya Kala Sindhu,” “Natya Kala Ratna,” “Natyakala Shiromani',” “Natyarani Shantala,” and the lifetime achievement award “Nrithya Bharathi” from Seva Bharathi Mumbai. Nayana Shenoy continues to be a passionate advocate and teacher of Bharatanatyam, fostering a rich legacy of classical dance. Awards & Honours: Natya Kala Saraswathi, Karnataka Kala Tilaka, Rajyotsava Award, Stree Ratna, Nrithya Kala Sindhu, Natya Kala Ratna, Natyakala Shiromani', Natyarani Shantala, Nrithya Bharathi.