‘Kalasuri’ Thivya Sujen

🪔 About

Kalasuri Thivya Sujen is a distinguished Bharathanatyam artiste, teacher, choreographer, and institution head based in Sri Lanka. She is the founder and directress of the Abhinayakshetra School of Dance, which she established in 2006. Her dedication to Bharathanatyam spans over two decades, marked by consistent hard work and passion. Thivya Sujen received her initial Bharathanatyam training from Thyananthy Mohan, Rathika Mahadeva, and Nalayini Rajadurai. She pursued higher studies at Kalakshetra, a renowned institution for aspiring artists. Her advanced training in Bharathanatyam was under the tutelage of the legendary Guru "Padma Bhushan" awardee Professor C V Chandrasekhar in Chennai, whose biography and contributions were the subject of her master's thesis. She further honed her skills in Nattuvangam from Bhagavathulu Seeetharama Sharma and Haripathman, and learned the intricacies of Abhinaya from Bragha Bessels. She is also a skilled Miruthangam artiste. As a teacher, Thivya Sujen maintains the traditional gurukula system at Abhinayakshetra, which has grown to educate over 500 students. She is recognized for her innovative approach, merging different classical dance styles in her productions, while steadfastly preserving the purity of tradition and classicism. Her choreographic works include large-scale dance dramas such as "Life History of Shiradi Sai" (2017), "Thiruketheeswaram Temple History" (2020), and the upcoming "Kathirgamam" (premiering in 2025), which involves over 100 dancers from India and Sri Lanka and incorporates Bharathanatyam, Kathakali, Kathak, Kandyan, Kooththu, and Kalari. Beyond performing and teaching, she contributes to the art form by penning articles on literature and dance for Tamil magazines in Sri Lanka, Germany, and the UK. Awards & Honours: Kalasuri, Baratha Kalavitthagar, Mridanga Kalavitthagar, Aryabhatta Award (2018), Natya Kala Ratna, Dr Padma Subramanyam Universal award, Best Dance Coacher, Muthamizh Semmal, Kalikomagal, Best dance contributor, Young artiste awards, Mayura Natya Tharaki.