Priya Murali

🪔 About

Priya Murle is a distinguished Indian classical dancer, teacher, and choreographer specializing in Bharatanatyam, with a career spanning over four decades. She is a senior disciple of Padmasri Professor Sudharani Raghupathy, the esteemed founder of Shree Bharathalaya. Murle also received training in Carnatic music from the doyen Padmabhushan Vidwan Sri Madurai N. Krishnan. Her academic pursuits include an M.Phil in Philosophy, where she focused her extensive research on Indian Aesthetics and Rasa Theory. As the founder-director of Shree Silambam Academy of Fine Arts (also known as Shri Silambam), Priya Murle is dedicated to inspiring and motivating her students in the Thanjavur Tradition of Bharatanatyam. She is celebrated for her exceptional abhinaya, characterized by spontaneous grace and ease of performance. Murle has performed, conducted lecture demonstrations, and led workshops extensively across India and internationally. Her commitment to the art form is further demonstrated through her involvement in publishing a Bharatanatyam handbook titled "Laghu Bharatham" and presenting the program "Bharathi," which has seen over thirty shows both in India and abroad. Beyond her artistic and teaching roles, Priya Murle has held significant leadership positions within the dance community. She is the President of the Association of Bharatanatyam Artistes of India (ABHAI). She also co-founded the "Parivartan Research Initiative" with Shreya Nagarajan Singh, which offers annual short-term grants to research scholars. Murle has served as a Convenor for the Natyadarshan conference, Kadamba, organized by KARTIK fine Arts in 2018 and 2019. Her teaching experience extends to international institutions, having trained students at Colgate University, Hamilton, NY, and as part of the Bharatanatyam faculty at Women's Christian College for an exchange student from Eastern University, USA. In 1994, she was a visiting Professor of Dance at the Government of India Music College, Tamil Nadu. Awards & Honours: Yuva Kala Bharathi, Nadanamamani, Vani Kala Nipuna, Bharatakala Bhushana, Rukmini Devi Arudale Award (2006), Kalaimamani Title (2019), Senior Scholarship for Dance, Nritya Vidya Ratna, Shriram Award of Excellence (2002), Cash Award (2024).