Indhra Rajashekar
Indhra Rajashekar is a dancer, choreographer and an educator, holds a Master degree in Fine Arts (MFA). Born in Chennai, India, began learning Bharatanatyam – Indian classical dance, at the age of five in the Thanjavur ‘bani’ or style.
Indhra in her words says, “The mystic union or yoga is the crux of my practice. The beauty of creation is like the rainbow; the white light of the divine breaks into a glorious, awe-inspiring spectrum of colors. I use art to convey this message to my students and audience. These perspectives included incorporating Natyasastra (Indian dramaturgy) and Western theater into my classes as well as art, spirituality, art history, poetry, and folk tales. “
“The spirituality of Bharatanatyam elevates the dancer and the audience to a higher level of consciousness or a flow of emotions I call ’emocean’. Sometimes emotional seas, are calm, but often they are turbulent. I aim to empower my audience and students with hope, faith in themselves, joy and peace. The shift in their consciousness relives stress and helps them to walk out of the studio with renewed faith. Art brings our hearts together!”
Indhra has performed on several stages in South India and at International Dance festivals and universities here in the U.S. as well.
Indhra is the founder and artistic director of Global Mudra Performing Arts and has several Arangetrams to her credit.
Indhra Rajashekar is the artistic director of the Eastern Cultural Heritage Organization, a non-profit organization, which was founded in 2008. The organization has been instrumental in creating several opportunities for artists from India to share their talents in the United States.
Indhra’s objective is to promote and propagate Indian Classical Dance form of Bharathanatyam.
As a Teacher
Indhra communicates through movement, the mental, physical and spiritual connections of Bharatanatyam. The purpose of her work is to create harmony and balance in her students by sharing the perennial philosophies of Ramayana and Mahabharata through interpretive storytelling with an intent to inspire individual responsibility and group accountability. She consciously attempts to build bridges that unite two cultures, the east, and the west.
She specializes in ‘abinaya’-facial expression, using the ‘nava rasas’ or the nine emotions found commonly in human emotions. Indhra pays close attention to the students’ proper posture, facial expression, foot and hand movements.
The efforts she has put in has paid off by receiving praise from her Gurus and visiting artists from India.
Indhra is a unique teacher. Along with teaching dance, she infuses discipline, ethics, culture, tradition, and values of right living. The minimum starting age for students is 5 years until two years ago. Indhra experimented with taking on a few three and half-year-old children and successfully taught them the basics. Her patience, humor and her teaching methodology attracts the young students and keeps them attentive.
Choreographer
Indhra has choreographed dances for her students arangetrams and all the dance school performances. She specializes in choreographing for pure instrumental music alone (without vocals ).
She was a special invitee to choreograph a bharathanatyam dance at the University of Southern Maine using their Jazz and Ballet dancers.
Indhra’s Guru
Indhra Rajashekar’s training came under the tutelage of the revered veteran maestro, Kalaimamani Arunachalam Pillai of Chennai. She had her Arangetram at the age of Eleven. After her guru’s passing, she pursued and received advanced training from stalwarts like Bharatanatyamalaimamani Smt. Krishnakumari Narendran, Kalaimamani Smt. Bhanumathi Balakrishna and Smt. Indira Krishnamurthy.