Vijayalakshmi Shetty

🪔 About

Vijayalakshmi Shetty is a prominent Indian classical dance teacher and choreographer based in the USA. She is the founder of Natraj Dance Academy, which she established in 1983 in the Chicago area. The academy has grown to become one of the largest Indian classical dance institutions in and around Chicago, dedicated to promoting and preserving Indian heritage and culture through dance. Shetty began her initial training in Bharatanatyam at the age of six under P. G. Chellapa of Chennai. She further received advanced training in Bharatanatyam from the late K. N. Dandayudhapani Pillai and his daughter Uma Dandayudhapani Pillai. Her training in Kuchipudi was under the tutelage of Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam, a renowned Kuchipudi master. Additionally, she received training in Mohiniyattam from P. G. Chellapa. Vijayalakshmi Shetty teaches and choreographs in multiple classical dance styles, including Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Mohiniyattam, and Odissi. With over 37 years of teaching experience, she has imparted knowledge to several thousand students in the Chicagoland area. Natraj Dance Academy provides comprehensive training in both the practice and theory of these classical dance forms. Over 200 students from her academy have successfully completed their arangetrams, with several continuing their dance careers professionally. She has also performed internationally and received numerous awards, though specific details of these awards are not provided in the available sources.