Asha Gopal

🪔 About

Kalashri Asha Gopal is a highly acclaimed Bharatanatyam dancer and guru, renowned as the founder and director of the Arathi School of Dance in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. She imparts the Pandanallur style of Bharatanatyam, having received her training from eminent teachers Guru Muthiah Pillai, Guru Kittappa Pillai, and Professor U.S. Krishna Rao. With a career spanning decades, Asha Gopal has served as a cultural ambassador for the Governments of Karnataka and India, performing for discerning audiences across the globe, including in Sikkim for its King, in Canada for Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, and throughout Europe, Mexico, and the USA. In India, she has had the distinct honor of performing for two former Presidents and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Her tireless energy and dedication to the field of dance have earned her numerous felicitations and awards. Her commitment to preserving and sharing Indian culture through classical art forms is a core belief. Her dedication to the art form is underscored by her entry into the Guinness Book of World Records in 2016 for graduating the highest number of Bharatanatyam students, with over 200 disciples completing their arangetrams. The Arathi School of Dance, established in 1981, reached a significant milestone by graduating its 100th student in its 25th anniversary year and its 200th student in its 35th anniversary year (2016). The school continues to offer classes in Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona, fostering the next generation of Bharatanatyam dancers. Many of her students have gone on to make their mark in the field of dance, with some even establishing their own schools. Through her academy, Asha Gopal has successfully bonded many students with Indian art and culture in a foreign land, empowering them to pass on this heritage. Awards & Honours: Singar Mani (1969), NRI Excellence award (1993), Karnataka Kalashri (1999), Citizen of the Year award from the Asian American Association of Arizona (2000), Balasaraswati dance award (2005), Natya Saraswati award (2008), Felicitation at 25-year Vasundharotsava (2010), Drishti Nrityakala Puraskara (2011), Felicitation at Sangeetha Sambrama (Nirantharam Festival) (2012), Felicitation from Shivapriya School of Dance (2014), Entry into Guinness Book of World Records (2016), Abhinaya Saraswathi, American Natya Life Time Achievement Awardee (2024).