Roopa Shyamasundar

🪔 About

Roopa Shyamasundara is a distinguished Bharatanatyam exponent, teacher, and choreographer, widely recognized for her contributions to Indian classical dance in both India and the United States. Her journey in Bharatanatyam commenced under the tutelage of Smt. Radha Sridhar, culminating in her arangetram in 1979. She further honed her skills with a prestigious dance scholarship from the Government of India and achieved a Master of Arts proficiency exam with distinction. Shyamasundara received advanced training from eminent gurus including the Dhananjayans, Usha Datar, Kathak exponent Smt. Maya Rao, and renowned abhinaya specialist Smt. Kalanidhi Narayanan. In India, she performed extensively as a solo artist at various music and dance conferences and on television, also taking on significant roles in dance dramas. After relocating to the United States in 1990, Roopa Shyamasundara continued her performing career across the US and Canada. In 1991, she established the Nrityollasa Center for Performing Arts in Rochester Hills, Michigan, with branches in Ann Arbor, West Bloomfield, and Novi, dedicated to providing high-quality Bharatanatyam training and preserving India's rich cultural heritage. Under her artistic direction, Nrityollasa has produced four classical Bharatanatyam dance dramas: "Sri Krishna" (1991), "Bhavayami Raghuramam" (1995), "Gita Govinda" (1998), and "Sri Krishna – Prema, Bhakti, Mukti" (2002 and 2006). She has been lauded for her refined choreographic skills and dedication by figures like Swami Dayananda Saraswati. Through Nrityollasa, she has trained numerous students, with nineteen successfully completing their traditional Bharatanatyam graduation.