Smt. Jaya Mani

🪔 About

Guru Natyakalavathi Smt. Jaya Mani is a highly accomplished artist in both Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi styles, renowned for her dedication to preserving and propagating the rich dance tradition of Kancheepuram Elappa Pillai (also known as Tanjore Bani) in the Greater Pittsburgh Area for over 40 years. Her extensive teaching career spans over five decades, having started teaching dance when she was a senior in high school. She began her formal dance training at the age of eight under the tutelage of Master M.D. Venkatesh and performed her Arangetram (debut) at the age of eleven in Chennai, India. Before moving to the United States around 1978, Smt. Jaya Mani was a member of the esteemed dance troupe of Padmini and Ragini, with whom she performed the dance drama 'Ramayana' over 100 times throughout India. She also performed for the Indian Army during the China-Indian war. Upon her arrival in the United States, she commenced teaching Bharatanatyam with just six students, a journey that has since seen her guide over 100 students through their Arangetrams. For her significant contributions to the art form, Smt. Jaya Mani was bestowed with the title 'Natyakalavathi'. In 1994, she received the 'Pride of India' award from Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy, and she was also recognized by the Srinivasa Prasad International Foundation for Performing Arts for promoting art among North American youth. Since 2002, she has served as an Adjunct Faculty member at Slippery Rock University, where she was instrumental in establishing the Dance in India Initiative Program for the Department of Dance. She has choreographed and presented numerous dance dramas and individual programs, including 'Ayarkula Thilakam' and 'Meenakshi Kalyanam,' and has performed globally across the United States, India, and other countries. Her daughter, Deepa Mani, continues her legacy through Arangam, a dance school structured upon Guru Smt. Jaya Mani's training module. Awards & Honours: Natyakalavathi, Pride of India (1994), Award for promoting art among North American youth.