Deepa Ganesh

🪔 About

Deepa Ganesh is a distinguished Bharatanatyam dancer with a career spanning over two decades. Her rigorous training began with her Arangetram in 1981. She received tutelage from eminent gurus, including Padmashri late K. N. Dandayudapani Pillai and Padmashri Adayar Sri K. Lakshmanan. Deepa Ganesh further specialized in Abhinaya, learning its technicalities from Padmavibhushan Smt. Kalanidhi Narayanan. Throughout her career, Deepa Ganesh has earned numerous accolades across India and is recognized as a graded artiste by Madras Doordarshan. A notable highlight of her career was a unique experiment in 1991, where she performed Bharatanatyam to the Tani Aavartanam of the Thavil, accompanied by the reputed Sri Valayapatti Subramanian, earning admiration from doyens of music and dance. She has performed internationally, including in Dubai, and conducted workshops, such as one for Apsaras Arts students in Richmond, VA, in 2008. In 2005, she toured South India with her daughters, performing in Chennai after a twelve-year hiatus, and was mentored by T.S. Parthasarathy and Kalanidhi Narayanan for her solo performances and lec-dems. Deepa Ganesh is the founder and Artistic Director of the Upasana Dance Group in the UK, also known as Upasana School of Dance. Her teaching legacy began early, having guided three youngsters through their arangetram by the age of 25. Her daughters, Vaishnavi and Nivedita Ganesh, are her disciples and have performed alongside her. As Creative Director of Upasana School of Dance, UK, she is bringing her 25-year-old production "Rasaratnakara," which has toured multiple continents, to the Bay Area in 2026, involving local dancers and students from various dance schools. She continues to inspire students in the art form. Deepa Ganesh is based in Manchester, UK. Awards & Honours: Natya Kala Ratna, Scholarship in dance from Alaknanda Academy of Dance and Music, Hind Gaurav Award (1992), Gem of India Award (1993), National level scholarship in dance research (Nomination by Government of India) (1994).