Sushma Kasthuri

🪔 About

Sushma Kasthuri, also known as Sushma Mohan, is a prominent figure in Indian classical dance, recognized as a dancer, nattuvangist, choreographer, and teacher. She is the sister of renowned dancers Prasanna Kasthuri and Pulikeshi Kasthuri, all of whom are well-known in the field of Bharatanatyam. Her initial training in dance was under Guru Prasanna Kasthuri and Ranjani Ganesan, an alumna of Kalakshetra. She further honed her skills through advanced training with Guru Dhananjayans at Bhaskara, a gurukula in Kerala. To broaden her artistic repertoire, Sushma undertook training in various forms, including martial arts of Manipur under Sri Khilton Nongmaiten, Kalaripayattu from Sri Anil Kumar in Kerala, Abhinaya from T K Mahalingam Pillai, and Kathak from Maya Rao. She also studied music under the late Guru Sri Ambhi Bhagavatar. Sushma is an accomplished nattuvangist, having learned the art from Guru Pulikeshi Kasthuri. She has provided nattuvangam accompaniment for notable dancers such as Vani Ganapathy, Ranjani Ganesan, and Prasanna Kasthuri, as well as for all performances of Shanthala Arts Academy. Her choreographic talents are evident in productions like "Apoorva Sadashiva," a dance presentation of 19th-century Mysore Sadashivaraya's compositions, and other works including Dashavataara, Navagraha, Yathiraaja Vaibhava, Mira, and Gajendra Moksha. She has choreographed ballets for institutions like the ISKCON temple Bangalore and IISc Bangalore, and was invited to perform for the TTD Brahmotsavam celebrations in Tirupathi in 2002. As a dedicated teacher, Sushma has trained students for over six years at Shanthala Arts Academy in Bangalore. Her students have achieved significant recognition, including scholarships from state and central governments, prizes in various state-level competitions, and distinctions and ranks in dance examinations conducted by the Karnataka Secondary Education board. Three of her students have successfully performed their arangetram, receiving acclaim from both the press and the public. Her own arangetram in Bangalore was part of "Rasa-Gati," a production choreographed by Prasanna Kasthuri, around 1987. She has participated in numerous dance festivals and also contributes as a freelance journalist, writing for Chennai-based dance and music website kutcherbuzz.com and "Bangalore trends" magazine. She was also present as a guru at Samanvita Kasthuri's Bharatanatyam Arangetram in 2016. Awards & Honours: Prize for representing Karnataka in 4th National Yuva festival.