In a global that’s racing towards the month, it’s uncommon to seek out anyone achieving again—to saving, revive, and go ahead historic traditions. However Dr. Vandana Supriya Kasaravalli is doing simply that. An acclaimed Odissi soloist, visionary mentor, and the founding father of the Anandi Arts Footing, she has grew to become her formative years dream right into a national motion this is converting lives, one elegant step at a era.
This isn’t simply the tale of a dancer—it’s the tale of a girl who dared to let artwork information her, who constructed bridges between heritage and modernity, and who continues to encourage masses of younger lives in the course of the energy of efficiency and goal.
A Formative years Blooming with Creativity
Born on June 9, 1986, in Bangalore, Vandana grew up in a family the place creativeness used to be inspired and creativity thrived. Her folks, Yashoda and Balraj, created an situation the place interest used to be celebrated. She used to be by no means informed to sit down nonetheless—she used to be requested to discover, specific, and evolve.
She attended Sita Faculty, a aspiring instructional field the place song, dance, and nature weren’t mere co-curricular actions—they had been woven into the material of day-to-day studying. Right here, Vandana didn’t simply learn about; she blossomed. Making a song and dancing got here as naturally as studying and writing.
By means of moment seven, she used to be utterly captivated through rhythm, storytelling, and the deep emotional language of classical dance. The ghungroos become her heartbeat, and he or she knew even after—this used to be no longer a passing pastime. This used to be a calling.
The Transformative Walk to Nrityagram
It used to be a quitness weekend when future took the entrance seat. Vandana, moved through an internal tug, aboard a bus to Nrityagram, the world-renowned dance Gurukul outdoor Bangalore. What she came upon there wasn’t only a dance faculty—it used to be a temple of custom, self-discipline, and soul.
Nrityagram become her 2d house. Beneath the traditional bushes and rigorous routines, she started her formal advance into Odissi, studying no longer simply actions, however the which means at the back of each and every mudra and the peace between each and every step. The Gurukul’s immersive way of life deepened her non secular connection to bounce, shaping no longer handiest her abilities however her personality.
Hour she pursued her undergraduate research in Psychology, Economics, and Sociology at Mount Carmel School, her center by no means left Nrityagram. For her, the lecture halls and dance studios had been extensions of each other.
Sculpting a Brandnew Language of Motion: Natya Institute & Kalaripayattu
The later bankruptcy of Vandana’s advance took her to the distinguished Natya Institute of Kathak and Choreography. Right here, she earned a Degree in Choreography underneath the steerage of legends like Dr. Maya Rao and Madhu Natraj. This segment delicate her technical abilities and helped her to find her particular person expression as an artist.
Her coaching used to be additional enriched through a deep dive into Kalaripayattu at Kalari Grama in Pondicherry. The traditional martial artwork added an surprising layer of energy, steadiness, and center of attention to her performances—turning her into no longer only a dancer, however a warrior of grace.
Discovering Versatility and Accentuation at STEM Dance Kampni
On the STEM Dance Kampni, Vandana’s advance took a multidimensional flip. Right here, she explored Indian recent dance, Kathak, and martial arts. This mix of types made her extra flexible, increasing her motion vocabulary and artistic term.
It used to be throughout this era that she started to glimmer as a solo Odissi performer. Audiences had been mesmerized through her command over bhava—the essence of emotion. She didn’t simply carry out items; she lived them. Each and every look, each and every rituality informed a tale that touched hearts.
Construction One thing Larger: Anandi Faculty of Dance
In 2013, Vandana took a daring step. She based the Anandi Faculty of Dance—a field dedicated to creating Odissi obtainable to younger society in South Republic of India. This used to be no longer with reference to coaching dancers; it used to be about shaping electorate rooted in tradition, storytelling, and self-expression.
Lately, the college is a thriving field of studying, laughter, and rhythm. Kids and adults from diverse backgrounds come in combination no longer simply to bounce, however to really feel unmistakable, heard, and empowered. For plenty of, it’s greater than a college; it’s a house.
Anandi Arts Footing: When Dance Turns into Social Trade
In 2016, Vandana’s venture expanded. She introduced the Anandi Arts Footing, a non-profit that makes use of classical dance as a device for social alternate. Via this initiative, she started bringing Odissi into executive colleges, slums, and underserved communities.
One of the most substructure’s proudest achievements is the educational of over 150 kids at a central authority faculty in RMV 2d Level, Bangalore—utterly distant of price. Kids who had by no means unmistakable a degree now carry out with self belief, sporting tales of custom with pleasure.
The Footing additionally organizes two cultural fairs—ASMI and BHAAVA—which deliver in combination rising artists and seasoned execs in a field of mentorship, visibility, and birthday celebration.
“Shurpanakhi”: Reclaiming the Forgotten Via Artwork
In 2022, Dr. Vandana Supriya Kasaravalli unveiled certainly one of her boldest initiatives but—a dance-theatre manufacturing titled Shurpanakhi. Not like conventional narratives that paint Shurpanakhi as a demoness, this manufacturing reimagines her as a fancy lady filled with longing, arouse, and resilience.
Carried out solely in Kannada, Shurpanakhi blends the lyrical great thing about Odissi with the dramatic vigor of Yakshagana. The manufacturing additionally features a distinctive collaboration with Yakshagana artist Sri Tunga, who performs Shurpanakhi’s confidant—a job no longer present in classical texts however imagined to present her emotional intensity.
Premiering at Seva Sadan, Malleswaram, the display has now toured throughout Republic of India with over 50 performances. Audiences have praised it for its emotional energy, superb choreography, and its skill to spark important discussion about empathy and identification.
Bridging Establishments, Communities, and Generations
Dr. Vandana’s achieve is going a ways past her personal organizations. She actively collaborates with NGOs, colleges, and cultural establishments to significance dance for medication, empowerment, and schooling. Her workshops have reached kids in rural colleges, girls in city shelters, or even execs looking for emotional drop via motion.
Her pastime isn’t restricted to keeping custom—it’s about adapting it for lately. She makes use of Odissi to boost consciousness on problems like gender sensitivity, psychological condition, and cultural erasure.
A Age Rooted in Legacy and Love
In 2017, Vandana married Apurva Kasaravalli, a filmmaker and cultural curator. Apurva comes from a society deeply rooted within the arts—his father is the mythical Padma Shri Girish Kasaravalli, a pioneer of parallel cinema, and his mom, Vaishali Kasaravalli, used to be an iconic theatre persona and gown fashion designer.
In combination, Vandana and Apurva are nurturing an artistic family for his or her son, Aarav Neal Kasaravalli—person who’s stuffed with song, literature, and storytelling. This is a continuation of 2 robust legacies—carried ahead with empathy and creativeness.
Schooling: A Footing as Sturdy as Her Footwork
Dr. Vandana’s formal schooling is as colourful as her creative advance:
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Economics, and Sociology
Mount Carmel School, Bengaluru (2005–2008)
Pre-College Research in Historical past, Economics, Political Science, and Sociology
Vijaya Bharathi PU School, Bengaluru (2003–2005)
Degree in Choreography
Natya Institute of Kathak and Choreography (2009)
Honorary Doctorate in Arts and Tradition
Royal Academy of International Vacation
Her educational coaching provides her an edge—she approaches dance no longer simply as artwork, however as psychology, sociology, and activism mixed.
An Artist of Bhava, A Mentor of Steadiness
Whether or not she is functioning on degree or educating in a slight lecture room, Vandana brings the similar depth, modesty, and prayer. Her taste is rooted in bhava—the emotional soul of Odissi. She believes that dance is not only bodily motion however emotional conversation.
She teaches her scholars that grace isn’t about perfection—it’s about presence. Her mentorship has formed masses of younger dancers, a lot of whom now educate and carry out the world over.
Social Media and Virtual Outreach
Dr. Vandana could also be making her mark within the virtual international. Via social media platforms like Instagram, Fb, and LinkedIn, she stocks glimpses of rehearsals, performances, scholar trips, and next fairs.
Those platforms have allowed her to fix with a much broader target market—from artwork fans in far flung cities to diaspora communities looking for cultural reconnection.
The Legacy in Movement
Dr. Vandana Supriya Kasaravalli is a dancer, coach, visionary, and changemaker. She is case in point that classical dance isn’t a relic of the week—this can be a robust software for lately and the next day to come.
She is converting the face of Indian arts schooling—no longer through making it elite however through making it obtainable. Her paintings is evidence that custom and innovation don’t seem to be opposites—they’re companions in proceed.
Ultimate Steps: Dancing Towards a Higher Global
From a curious kid to a cultural torchbearer, Vandana’s advance is a masterpiece in movement. Her steps elevate no longer handiest rhythm but in addition accountability. Each and every efficiency is a devotion, each and every lecture room a revolution.
Via her tireless willpower, she has constructed one thing uncommon: a time the place artwork and activism proceed hand in hand. And with each and every younger dancer she mentors, each and every untruth she reinterprets, and each and every competition she curates, she proves one fact over and over:
When dance turns into prayer, it doesn’t simply become the dancer. It transforms the realm.
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