Meet Arathi Srinivas of Natyadwani – School of Bharatanatyam in Thousand Oaks

Today we’d like to introduce you to Arathi Srinivas.

Arathi, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
As a child, I was always fascinated with dance. My interest began when I would stand outside the local Bharatanatyam classes and watch young girls dance this beautiful, classical art form. I would come home and pick a fight with my parents to enroll me into the dance class. I was six years old when Guru Geetha Ananthanarayan accepted me as her student, even though I needed to be of 9 years old to begin. To this day, my Guru reminisces the amount of will and determination I carried for the art.

Young girls in India were rarely accepted by society as aspiring dancers. Despite the stereotypes attached to dancing in Indian society, my parents encouraged me from the first moment I expressed my interest in Bhratanatyam. I also took an active part in local theaters and even continued on to act in Indian TV soap operas after I got married.

After I had my daughter at 21 years of age, I would bring her to the sets of the show or have my mother-in-law watch her. It was a really difficult process of jumping back and forth between being a full-time mother and a full-time TV actress. But throughout it all, I still went to dance classes and never stopped learning. Between being a mother, working full-time, and maintaining my household, a thousand different things would try to stretch me thin. None of it could have stopped me from realizing that my true potential and happiness is with Bharatanatyam.

I started my first class as a teacher in our 2-bedroom apartment in Memphis, Tennessee in 2006 with six students who put their faith in me to be their Guru. Today, I am a teacher to over 75 students in Thousand Oaks, California, where my dance school – Natyadwani – is one of the locally well-known Bharatanatyam dance school.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It took a high level of struggle to get me to where I am today. One of the biggest by far was the deterioration of my own body.

A dancers’ strength not only comes from physicality and body agility but also from the hope of surpassing oneself physically. The thing I love about Bhratanatyam the most is that its a particularly challenging dance form. It requires a dancer to remain in a crouched, almost squat-like position with perfect posture while moving your feet rapidly. Bharatanatyam also utilizes various parts of the foot, including the balls, heels, and toes.

Even after I had a baby in my early 20s, my body was in sync with the dance, so much so that I never lost the physicality required to perform. It wasn’t until I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis that I stopped dancing temporarily.

It is a strange and helpless feeling. I had active hands and legs, but I was in so much pain that I couldn’t move. I had rhythm coursing through my veins, but my body had been drained of its energy. My body resisted me every step of the way to recovery. This illness I fought through was the biggest struggle I have faced, not only because my body had given up temporarily, but because my mind was weak too. I had to get over so many doubts, questions and tests to get to where I am today, and it makes the present moment all the more sweeter because of it.

If there is one thing I have learned through this experience it is that mind always wins over matter. I only had to decide that I was indeed strong enough, and my body willingly complied. The biggest thing that stood in my way every time I tried to succeed was me. But once I let go of the fear and embraced the unlimited potential I had, I was able to fly higher than ever before.

Natyadwani – School of Bharatanatyam – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Natyadwani provides classical instruction to young women of all ages in the Kalakshetra style of Bharatanatyam. With focus on technique, we emphasize mostly on clear sounding footwork, precise hand gestures, deep knowledge of technical rhythm, animated facial expressions and the proper understanding of the Natya Shastra (a detailed handbook on the theoretical aspects of all Indian classical art forms).

We set our students up for success by encouraging them to take the Akhila Gandharva Examinations every year. The Akhila Gandharva Examinations are conducted by the Akhila Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal, which is an Indian government-affiliated and nationally-known organization that works toward the propagation of classical Indian music and dance. These examinations are a benchmark for students and professionals of the classical arts of India. The students of Natyadwani excel in these examinations every year and set our school at a higher standard.

But more so than the surface level what Natyadwani stands for, I would categorize it as a school that young women seek out to feel their inner shakti, or power. We don’t just build knowledge of Bharatanatyam, but we also give young women a platform to express themselves freely and without inhibitions.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I believe that success is personal. To me, my success is based on the success of my students. I am in an extremely rewarding position in that if a student nails one of the most difficult steps, then I feel immensely successful. I feel successful because of what they have achieved in their dance.

So many of my students have come out of their shells to express themselves through the dance. I have witnessed the growth of these young women and how the dance played a vital role in their discovery of self. When my instruction of the dance acts as a catalyst for their progress as young women, I am successful.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.natyadwani.com
• Phone: 901-428-2030
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natyadwani/?igshid=18wdw1r14eqnp
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/natyadwani/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/natyadwani-thousand-oaks

Image Credit:
Catherine Heath

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