Sudeshna Swayamprabha

🪔 About

Sudeshna Swayamprabha is a Bangladeshi classical dancer, choreographer, and teacher, highly regarded for her proficiency in Bharatanatyam and Manipuri. The daughter of renowned danseuse Sharmila Bandyopadhyay and elocutionist Bhaswar Bandyopadhyay, she commenced her dance journey at the tender age of four, making her debut performance in New Jersey, USA. Her foundational training in Manipuri and Bharatanatyam was under the guidance of her mother, Sharmila Bandyopadhyay. Her extensive classical dance education includes Manipuri from Manipuri Nartanalaya, where she trained under Guru Bipin Singh and Kalavati Devi. For Bharatanatyam, she received tutelage from Belayet Hossain Khan, Tamanna Rahman, and the esteemed Padma Bhushan Professor C.V. Chandrasekhar. She also explored creative dance under Amala Shankar at the Uday Shankar India Cultural Centre in Kolkata. Further expanding her repertoire, she studied Odissi under Benzir Salam and Mohiniyattam. Currently, she continues to refine her Manipuri skills under Bimbavati Devi and performs with her troupe, Manipuri Narthanalaya, in Kolkata. Academically, Sudeshna holds a BSS (Honours) and MSS in Anthropology from the University of Dhaka. She also earned an MA in Dance from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata, where she achieved exceptional academic success. At the university's 44th annual convocation ceremony, she secured the highest score across all seven dance departments under the Faculty of Fine Arts, earning the University Medal (Gold), Nirod Baran Memorial Prize, Sunit Basu Memorial Prize, and Asit Chattopadhyay Memorial Prize. Her performance career spans international stages, with appearances in various cities across India (including Ujjain, Delhi, Sagar, Kolkata, the Kalidas Festival, and the Khajuraho Dance Festival), Dubai, Norway, and Sri Lanka. A notable milestone was her portrayal of the heroine in Tagore's dance drama “Chitrangada” at the 2003 Kalidas Festival. She also achieved first place in the BTV dance competition “Tarana”. As an educator, Sudeshna Swayamprabha serves as an instructor at Chhayanaut Sangeet Bidyayatan and has established her own dance institution, Nritya Nandan. She is committed to preserving and promoting Indian classical dance forms, often incorporating elements from different styles into her creative and contemporary choreographies. Awards & Honours: University Medal (Gold), Nirod Baran Memorial Prize, Sunit Basu Memorial Prize, Asit Chattopadhyay Memorial Prize, First place in dance competition "Tarana".