- Natyalaya 40th Anniversary Alumni Reunion: A Student Perspective – Bini Nampoothiri Perspective – Bimi
I would like to express my deepest gratitude for the incredible decade of performanceopportunities that I have had the privilege of experiencing at Natyalaya. As a dedicated dance lover, I cannot begin to express how much these opportunities have meant to me and how they have shaped my journey as an artist. Additionally my daughter …
- Natyalaya 40th Anniversary Alumni Reunion: A Student Perspective – Hema Ramaswamy
I’m Hema Ramaswamy, a dance mom and now a dance student at Natyalaya. Vinitha, Director of Natyalaya’s accomplishments and talents are well known to our community. The lesser known fact is that she has been an inspiration in my family across three generations – my mother, me, and my daughter. Our connection with her goes …
- Learning from different cultures in the Lunar New Year
Written By Gayathri Anilkumar The Lunar New Year is a popular Chinese holiday widely celebrated by Chinese communities across the globe. It celebrates the arrival of the spring season and is commonly associated with bright red lanterns, dragon dances, and the different zodiac animals each year. In the United States, several cultural events and programs …
- Natyalaya 40th Anniversary Alumni Reunion: A Student Perspective – Manjula
Embarking on my journey at Natyalaya two decades ago in 2005, little did I know that it would become an integral part of my life, shaping me in more ways than I could have imagined. Reflecting on those early days riding my bike to the Tilghman House brings a rush of nostalgia. It marked the …
- Natyalaya 40th Anniversary Alumni Reunion: A Student Perspective – Meena Subramanian
Dance has been a part of my life for as long as I could remember. Even before I started dancing, I would run around backstage, watching the dancers donning their make-up and marvel at their gorgeous clothes. I watched them preparing to take on the stage as they ran hand movements before stepping out. The …
- Natyalaya 40th Anniversary Alumni Reunion: A Student Perspective – Aparna Raman
I first heard of Natyalaya and the charismatic Vinitha Subramaniam as a grad student at UT. Little did I know that Vinitha Aunty and the extended Natyalaya community would become my proxy family. I started teaching at Natyalaya after I graduated from UT in 2000. I still lived on campus, and classes were held at …
- Natyalaya 40th Anniversary Alumni Reunion: A Student Perspective – Vinu Ilakkuvan
I feel so fortunate to have fallen into the hands of Natyalaya and Vinitha Aunty during a truly formative time in my life and Bharatanatyam journey. My family moved from Virginia to Austin the summer after sixth grade, and – though I didn’t know it at the time – would move back to Virginia again …
- Natyalaya 40th Anniversary Alumni Reunion: A Student Perspective – Shragvi Balaji
Natyalaya School of Dance has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. From attending the many Natyalaya arangetrams that my father accompanied for on the mridangam, to beginning classes at Natyalaya at the age of 8, to performing in front of hundreds of people during my arangetram in 2017, …
- Natyalaya 40th Anniversary Alumni Reunion: A Student Perspective – Inchara Kashyap
“Alaya” meaning abode in Sanskrit, implies “Natyalaya”, the home for dance, is such an apt name for our dynamic and vibrant dance school founded by Smt. Vinitha Subramanian. Natyalaya is not just a dance institution; it is a beacon of passion, love and empathy, deeply anchored in Indian cultural and traditional values. Guru Vinitha stands …
- Natyalaya Vijayadashami Celebration
Vijayadashami, also known as Dussehra or Dasara, is a major Hindu festival celebrated at the end of Navratri. It marks the triumph of Lord Rama over Ravana, the ten-headed demon who abducted Rama’s wife, Sita. Vijayadashami is celebrated all across India in multiple different ways. In South India, Durga—the Hindu goddess of strength and motherhood—is …
- Seonee: Interview with the Directors
By Srisahiti Maddipatla Neha Kunka is a current sophomore at Vandegrift High School. She’s been a part of Natyalaya since 2012 and has participated in several productions over the years. She completed her arangetram in June of 2022. Throughout her journey, dance has allowed her to express her love for her culture! Gopika Rajalal is …