Suman Nayak

🪔 About

Suman Nayak is an accomplished Bharatanatyam teacher, performer, and choreographer, who humbly considers herself a lifelong student of the art form. With over 30 years of experience in the field, she has established herself as a reputed teacher in San Diego, California, where she is the artistic director of the Natesha School of Bharatanatyam. Nayak is recognized for her fluid grace, excellent sense of rhythm, elegant expressions, and creativity, and she enjoys exploring the intricacies of movement and rhythm to create beautiful choreography within traditional frameworks. Born and raised in Mangalore, Southern India, Suman Nayak received her foundational dance training at Kadri Nritya Vidya Nilaya, a school founded by Guru U. S. Krishna Rao. She underwent 16 years of intensive training in the Pandanallur tradition under Vidwan Sri U. K. Praveen and learned Carnatic Music from Smt. Usha Praveen. She also received guidance from Smt. Sandhya Keshav Rao. Nayak further honed her Abhinaya skills with Guru Smt. Ramya Harishankar in Irvine, CA, for over a decade and has been mentored by Guru Smt. Anitha Guha and Sathvikaa Shankar. She receives guidance in nattuvangam from Mridangam Vidwan Sri Nagai P. Sriram. Suman Nayak founded the Natesha School of Bharatanatyam in 2001, with the aim of propagating the pure Indian classical form to children of all ages, following the traditional Guru-Shishya method. Beyond her teaching and performing, she is committed to community engagement, having organized fundraising events for various San Diego-based organizations and virtual workshops to support artists in India. She actively volunteers for the Indian Fine Arts Academy San Diego (IFAASD) and the San Diego Indian American Society, and has conducted lecture demonstrations on Indian culture and dance at educational institutions. Awards & Honours: Natya Vidushi (2000), Sri Sathya Sai Balavikas Excellence Award for Dance (2019).