Sujatha Srinivasan

🪔 About

Sujatha Srinivasan is an internationally acclaimed Bharatanatyam artist, choreographer, and educator, whose career spans over five decades. She began her dance training at the age of six in Chennai, India, studying with several gurus and mastering the graceful Vazhuvoor lineage (bani) of Bharatanatyam, which emphasizes musicality, precise footwork, and intricate facial expressions. Beyond dance, she also learned Mridangam, Sanskrit, Tamil, and yoga, integrating these allied arts into her holistic approach. Srinivasan established herself as a solo performer, touring extensively across India and Europe. In 1993, she moved to Toledo, USA, and two years later relocated to Cleveland, Ohio. In Ohio, she reinvented herself as a teacher, founding Shri Kalaa Mandir – Center for Indian Performing Arts in 1993 to preserve and propagate Indian classical arts. Through her institution, she has nurtured hundreds of students, with over 400 individuals trained, many of whom have gone on to establish their own dance schools across North America. She has choreographed and collaborated on more than 40 productions over the past 30 years in Northeast Ohio, engaging with modern themes such as climate change and social justice while remaining rooted in traditional Bharatanatyam vocabulary. Awards & Honours: Individual Excellence Award for Choreography (Ohio Arts Council) (2024), Heritage Fellowship (Ohio Arts Council) (2024), Resident artist of Akron Soul Train (2023), Cleveland Arts Prize - Martha Joseph award (2022), First ever award for a talented dancer from the Music Academy, YuvakalaBharathi from Bharat Kalachar, Nadanamanani from Kartik Fine Arts, Best Dancer from Narada Gana Sabha, Ohio Arts Council Traditional Arts Apprenticeship grant (2026), Arts Education Champion.