Sharmila Rao

🪔 About

Sharmila Rao is a Swiss-born Indian classical dancer and teacher specializing in Bharatanatyam, with over 30 years of stage experience. Born in Baden, Switzerland, in 1980, she is the daughter of Smt. Vijaya Rao and Anton Tönz, founders of the Nateschwara Academy, a prominent institution for Indian arts in Switzerland. Her initiation into Bharatanatyam began at the age of five under Guru Shri Pathagudi S. Ramaswamy, with further training provided by her mother, Smt. Vijaya Rao. She also received extensive training in Carnatic music from age eight, studying under Shri B. Raghuram, Shri N. Purushothaman, and Smt. Shantha Balasubramanian, and learned the Indian instrument Veena. Additionally, she pursued Western classical music, studying flute and piano for over a decade. Rao made her stage debut (Arangetram) in 1992 at the age of 12. Her performing career includes extensive tours throughout Europe and performances in India, both as a solo artist and in dance theater productions. She has played lead roles in Bharatanatyam plays choreographed by Guru Sri Pathagudi S. Ramaswamy, such as “Alaghar Kuravanji” and “Om Namah Shivaya.” She also toured Europe with her mother's dance theater productions, including “Savitri,” “Jesus of Nazareth,” “Divya Darshanam,” and the acclaimed “Abhijnana Shakuntalam,” which was performed over 40 times in 1994/95. Academically, Sharmila Rao holds a Master's degree in Indology, Social Anthropology, and Educational Science from the University of Zurich, completed in 2008. She further earned a PhD in Indology in 2017 with summa cum laude, with her dissertation focusing on “The Modern Reception of Purandara Dasa's Compositions.” She also completed training in physical education in 2021. With over 25 years of teaching experience, Rao began teaching at her parents' dance school and, in 2016, founded her own institution, Sharmila Rao's Bharata Natyam Dance School, with locations in Zurich and Wettingen, Switzerland. She received a teacher training diploma in 2010. Her contributions to Indian classical dance have been recognized with awards such as the “Natya Mayuri” young talent promotion award in 1998 from the Music Academy Chennai, and in 2009, the “Natyakala Sudarshini” and a Dedication Excellency Award in Bangalore. Awards & Honours: Natya Mayuri (Dancing Peacock) (1998), Natyakala Sudarshini (Outstanding Beauty of Dance) (2009), Dedication Excellency Award (2009).