Thivya Sujen

🪔 About

Kalasuri Thivya Sujen is a prominent Bharatanatyam artiste, teacher, choreographer, writer, and lyricist based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. She is the founder and directress of the Abhinayakshetra School Of Dance (Reg), an institution she established in 2006. The school has been a cornerstone of Sri Lankan dance education and innovation for over two decades. Thivya Sujen received her Bharatanatyam training in India under the gurukula system, studying with the veteran Bharatanatyam exponent Guru C.V. Chandrasekhar, a direct disciple of Rukmini Devi Arundale from Kalakshetra. She met her guru in 2005. She frequently travels to Tamil Nadu, India, for her school's productions, collaborating with renowned composers like Lalgudi G.J.R. Krishnan and Rajkumar Bharathi for music scores. Recognized for her contributions to the arts, Thivya Sujen was honored with the "Kalasuri" award by the President of Sri Lanka. In 2020, she founded the Global Association of Sri Lankan Bharatanatyam Artistes, a platform aimed at connecting performers and teachers who were displaced during the 1983 anti-Tamil pogrom. She has also organized online lectures with Indian artistes, such as Priyadarsini Govind, and initiated a virtual 'Nattuvangam' course. Under her visionary leadership, Abhinayakshetra School of Dance has staged several landmark productions, including "The Life History of Shiradi Sai" in 2017, which contributed to the establishment of the Sai Temple in Awissawala, and "Thiruketheeswaram Temple History" in 2020, which led to the creation of the Kethu Sannidhi in Thiruketheeswaram. Her upcoming grand dance drama, "Kathirgamam," is scheduled to premiere on July 20, 2025, in Colombo, featuring over 100 dancers from both India and Sri Lanka. Awards & Honours: Kalasuri.