Sathyanarayana Raju

🪔 About

Sathyanarayana Raju is a highly acclaimed Indian classical dancer and choreographer, renowned for his contributions to Bharatanatyam and his training in Kathak. Hailing from an agricultural family where dance was not a traditional pursuit, his passion for the art was ignited at a young age after watching Jayaprada's performance in the Telugu movie 'Siri Siri Muvva'. This initial spark led him to instinctively dance in his family's rice fields. He began his formal training in Bharatanatyam at the age of 17 under Guru Subhadra, learning the Pandanallur style, and also received instruction in Kuchipudi. His artistic journey continued under the tutelage of Guru Narmada at Shakuntala Nrityalaya in Bangalore, who is credited with refining his art. He further enhanced his Bharatanatyam skills with advanced training from Smt. Padmini Ravi, Guru Smt. Savithri Jagamath Rao, and Guru Bhanumathi. Additionally, Raju explored Kathak, receiving extensive training from Dr. Maya Rao and Chitra Venugopal at the Natya Institute of Kathak and Choreography in Bangalore. He ultimately chose to dedicate his career primarily to Bharatanatyam. Sathyanarayana Raju has established himself as a prominent male dancer, performing widely across India and internationally in countries such as the UK, USA, Canada, Switzerland, France, Maldives, and Singapore. He is an 'A-top' Graded artiste of Doordarshan and holds the title of Asthana Vidwan of Hariharapura Shreemath. His creative choreographies include the widely acclaimed solo feature 'Rama Katha'. In 1996, he founded his dance institution, Samskruthi - The Temple of Art, in Bengaluru, which has since nurtured numerous professional dancers. He is also known for organizing dance festivals, including the Samskruthi and Shivarathri festivals, and the Rasaabhinaya, an all-male classical dance festival, which he organized to commemorate 40 years of his dance journey. To celebrate his sixtieth birthday, Sathyanarayana Raju embarked on a significant endeavor, performing the 'Ashtaragamalika varnam' composed by the Tanjore Quartette sixty times as an offering to Lord Nataraja. This marathon effort, known as the 'Shasti Varna Chakra', culminated in his sixtieth performance on January 6, 2026. Awards & Honours: Karnataka Kalashree (2016), Narthaka Award, Kala Arthi Rathna, Doordarshan Chandana award, Kempegowda award.