Tharini Shanmugarajah

🪔 About

Tharini Shanmugarajah is an accomplished professional Bharatanatyam dancer and educator, known for her impeccable technique and commitment to the art form. She received her initial Bharatanatyam training from her mother, Smt. Kalyani Shanmugarajah, who is the Artistic Director of Kalapeetham School of Dance and an alumna of Kalakshetra. Furthering her expertise, Tharini began advanced training in 2008 under Sri Sheejith Krishna, the Director of Sahrdaya Foundation in Chennai, and also had the privilege of studying abhinaya under the acclaimed exponent Smt. Bragha Bessel. She also trained in ballet from the age of four and studied Carnatic music for many years. Tharini Shanmugarajah made her solo debut (Arangetram) in 2002. In 2005, she established the performing wing of the Kalapeetham School of Dance, where she currently serves as Co-Artistic Director. Under her leadership, the Kalapeetham Dance Company has successfully raised over $200,000 for various non-profit organizations through benefit performances. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Dance from California State University, Northridge in 2013. Her extensive performance career includes appearances across India and the United States. Notable performances include being featured in the prestigious Spirit of Youth Festival at the Music Academy, Madras, in 2012, and performing in Sheejith Krishna's production of "Don Quixote" in 2015, which premiered at the Music Academy, Madras, and toured fifteen U.S. cities, including a performance at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She also appeared in "MARA" at the Ford Amphitheater in Hollywood in both 2013 and 2016. In 2024, she was a featured dancer in Dr. Gowri Ramnarayan's production "Magic Bow," which toured the United States, and is slated for a full-length solo performance in Chennai in December 2025. Beyond her dance accomplishments, Tharini is also a skilled makeup artist specializing in dance, beauty, and theater. She is deeply committed to teaching and nurturing a love and appreciation for Bharatanatyam among the students of the Kalapeetham family.