Smt Jayalakshimi Raman

🪔 About

Smt Jayalakshimi Raman is recognized as a pioneer in the South Indian traditional dance form, Bharata Natyam, both in Singapore and Western Australia. Born in Singapore, she moved to Chennai, India, at the age of 14 to pursue her passion for dance. She undertook intensive training in Bharata Natyam at the world-renowned Kalakshetra Foundation, graduating in 1967 after five years of study in the Pandanallur bani, now known as the Kalakshetra style. She was also trained in Carnatic music by the late Budalur Krishnamurthy Shastri. Jayalakshimi Raman was the first person from Singapore to achieve a distinguished Diploma from Kalakshetra. After graduating, she returned to Singapore, where she spent a decade teaching and performing classical Indian dance, including as a National Dance Artiste who traveled internationally with the State National Dance troupe. In the early 1980s, she visited Perth, Australia, and in 1983, she and her husband, Sri Raman Kuppusamy, permanently moved there. That same year, she founded the Kalaivani School of Indian Classical Arts in Perth, which became Western Australia's first school of its kind. She has successfully taught dance and music for over 56 years and is a distinguished guru, performer, vocalist, choreographer, and orchestra lead. She was also a founding member of the North Perth Ethnic Music Centre (later Kulcha) in 1983. In 2021, she formed and leads Geethvani, Kalaivani's traditional Carnatic orchestra. Jayalakshimi Raman was mentored by the legendary Rukmini Devi Arundale, founder of Kalakshetra. Awards & Honours: Lifetime Achievement Award (2015), Natya Aachaarya Mani (2015), Jeeyar Award of Excellence for her Pioneering Service to Indian Classical Dance in Western Australia (2015), Certificate of Appreciation (2023).