Yelena V Tarassova

🪔 About

Elena Tarasova is a prominent Russian exponent of Indian classical dance, particularly Kuchipudi, based in Saint Petersburg. Her journey in Indian dance commenced in 1987, and she is recognized as a performer, choreographer, dance teacher, lecturer, and art researcher. Tarasova pursued her higher education at the Saint-Petersburg State University of Culture and Arts, graduating with distinction between 1994 and 1999. Her extensive training in Kuchipudi includes tutelage under the esteemed Guru Padmashree Dr. Sobha Naidu during the winters of 2003-2004 and 2006-2007. She also received training from other notable Kuchipudi teachers such as Vempati Ravi Shankar, Shiv Adinarayana Chinta, Deepika Reddy, Sailaja, Jaykishore Mosalikanti, Ananda Shankar Jayant, and Kaushalya Reddy. In Kathak, she is a disciple of Guru Ashwani Nigam and has also worked with Praveen Gangani, Rajendra Gangani, Sharmila Sharma, and Mahendra Parihar. Her early dance studies in the 1980s included Kathak and Bharatanatyam basics with Tatyana Vladimirovna Rymareva, Tatyana Stanislavovna Yatsenko, and Anna Styazhkina, and Kuchipudi with Anna Vyacheslavovna Maschak from 1994-1996. She also worked with Mohiniattam Guru Shyamala Surendran. Tarasova has significantly contributed to the promotion of Indian classical dance in Russia. In 1996, she established the Indian Dance Theatre "Apsara" in Saint-Petersburg, serving as its artistic director and founder. Later, in 2009, she founded the Center of Indian Culture in Saint-Petersburg. She has been a lecturer at the world-renowned Academy of Russian Ballet named after A. Y. Vaganova since 2008, where she developed and teaches a course on Indian classical dance. A notable achievement in her career was her participation in the International Kuchipudi Dance Convention in June 2008, where she was the sole non-Indian Kuchipudi dancer. Elena Tarasova is also a Guinness World Record holder for Kuchipudi dance. She has taught over 70 students at her institutions, including individuals from various Russian cities and international students, and has taught over 500 students over 25 years. In 2013, she launched "The dance without limits," a video learning tool covering four Indian dance styles. Her biography has been featured in Hubners Encyclopedia Who is Who. Awards & Honours: Guinness World Record for Kuchipudi dance.