Soundharya Sridharan

🪔 About

Soundharya Sridharan is an accomplished Indian Classical Bharatanatyam dancer and teacher, with over 25 years of association with the art form. She received her training in the Vazhuvoor Style under the tutelage of Smt. Sujatha and Kalaimamani Srekalabharath. Sridharan marked her solo debut, or Arangetram, in 2004 in Chennai, India. In the same year, her dedication to Bharatanatyam was recognized with the "Natya Kala Ratna" award from the South India Social and Cultural Academy. Driven by her passion for Abhinaya (facial expressions) and intricate dance movements, Soundharya began teaching at a young age. She formally established private dance classes and workshops in India in 2011. By the end of 2015, she had successfully guided approximately 60 students. In 2016, Sridharan relocated to the Bay Area in California, where she continued her artistic journey by training under Smt. Shreelata Suresh for two years. During this period, she also contributed to the community by teaching dance at Shirdi Sai Parivaar, a non-profit organization, until 2018. In the summer of 2018, with the blessings of her gurus, Soundharya Sridharan founded the "Anuradha Academy of Dance" in Fremont, California. The academy, a registered dance school with the City of Fremont, serves as her primary institution for promoting and spreading Indian art and culture in the Bay Area. She currently mentors over 50 students, imparting the Vazhuvoor tradition of Bharatanatyam. Her teaching methodology incorporates a video-based approach to analyze body movements alongside in-person training, emphasizing perfection and detailed theoretical understanding. Sridharan is also an active performer, with notable appearances at events such as the South India Social Cultural Academy Arts Festival, ARM Fest 2005, Diva 2013, the San Francisco International Arts Festival in 2017, and Chidambaram Natyanjali. She has also performed for private television channels in India and presented thematic productions like "Karthikeya" in the Bay Area. Awards & Honours: Natya Kala Ratna (2004).