Vidushi Vijaya Rao

🪔 About

Natyakalabushani, Natyashree Vidushi Smt. Vijaya Rao is a profound exponent of classical Indian dance Bharatanatyam, particularly known for the Cheyyur tradition/style. She is a committed representative of this timeless Indian art form and is celebrated in Europe as an Indian dancer, choreographer, cultural ambassador, and teacher. With nearly four decades of experience in Bharatanatyam training, she founded Nateschwara, an institution for authentic teaching, which is recognized beyond Switzerland's borders. Born into a South Indian family from Mysore with a rich musical heritage, her forefathers included the musician Veena Subbana and flutist Palladam Sanjivarao. Vijaya Rao received her foundational Bharatanatyam training from Shri Umesh Herenjal and initial Sitar training from Shri Rajbi Khan in Dharwad, Karnataka. She became a master student of the legendary Bharatanatyam teacher Shri Pathagudi S. Ramaswamy, becoming the foremost torchbearer of his Cheyyur Bharatanatyam style and his successor in accompanying dance as a vocalist and Nattuvanar. She also received Carnatic vocal training from violin maestro Shri Bhimarao Raghuram, Gottuvadyam maestro Shri Narayanaswami Purushothaman, and Dasara Pada exponent Smt. Rajamma Keshavamurthy. Her career began as the principal dancer of Shri Umesh Herenjal's troupe, performing in France and Germany. She won first place at the Karnataka University dance competition in 1970 and a gold medal at the inter-university Youth Festival in Mysore in 1971. After completing her studies in German and French, she received a scholarship in 1976 for her dissertation on Herman Hesse. In 1977, she moved to Switzerland, where she began teaching and disseminating Bharatanatyam. In 1979, she married Anton Tönz, and together they opened the Nateschwara school in Baden in 1980. She is also the author of "Image of the Divine," one of the first books on Bharatanatyam in German, published in 1987. Awards & Honours: Natyakalabushani (1995), Natyashree (2009), Honored by ICCR, Indian Embassy, and Indo Swiss Center (2021).