Usha Narayana

🪔 About

Usha Narayan is a distinguished senior Bharatanatyam guru and an A-grade artiste of All India Radio (AIR) from New Delhi, India. She received extensive training in both the Pandanallur and Tanjore styles of Bharatanatyam from revered maestros including Guru Kittappa Pillai, Guru Chokkalingam Pillai, Guru Nana Kasar, Smt. Swarna Saraswathi, Smt. Kalanidhi Narayanan, and Smt. Yamini Krishnamoorthy. Her profound understanding of the art form is evident in her performances, which have been lauded for their mastery, expressive abhinaya, and ability to elevate dance from mere gymnastics to a sublime spiritual experience. In 1980, Usha Narayan founded the Sri Nrittya Kala Samskritam dance institute in New Delhi, where she meticulously trained students and presented their arangetrams. She also contributed significantly to arts education by developing curriculum in Performing Arts for N.C.E.R.T in India and served as a teacher and head of the Performing Arts department at Vasant Valley School in New Delhi for many years. Since 2001, she has continued to impart her knowledge and expertise in Bharatanatyam to students in the Bay Area, offering classes, workshops, lecture-demonstrations, and student productions. Beyond Bharatanatyam, Usha Narayan is recognized for her innovative contributions to Indian classical dance. She adapted and re-created the ancient temple dance form Arrayar Sevai, renaming it 'Sringa Nritya.' Her pioneering work in this area earned her recognition in the Indian Limca Book of Records in 1991 and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Indian community at the Youth Festival in San Francisco in 2005. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes aesthetic values, clean lines and angles of movement, and heartfelt abhinaya. Her daughter, Mohana Narayan, is a prominent disciple who has continued her legacy by founding SarvaGuna and training numerous students. Awards & Honours: Deivika Natyamani, Sri Nritya Choodamani, Lifetime Achievement Award (2005).