These classes offer students an opportunity to dive deeper into the technicalities of Bharatanatyam. The curriculum covers the following:

• Review of the origin, history, and basics of Bharatanatyam
• Revision of Adavus (foot movements), Asamyukta, and Samyukta hastas (hand gestures)
• Introduction to the techniques and practices such as Krithi and Thillana, Carnatic music compositions, and their accompanying movements
• Learning to recite Jathis in Thaalam, the finger counts of the beats in a taal
• Learning to use the Thattu Kali, a wooden block used to keep rhythm during a Bharatanatyam performance.
• Learning Abhinaya, the Indian art of aesthetic expression

About the Teacher: Identified as a child prodigy after entering dance school at the tender age of 3 and a half years, Rekha Raju has come a long way. After refining her skills as a Bharatanatyam dancer, Dr Rekha Raju has devoted most of her time to Mohiniattam, a dance form popular in Kerala. 

Raised in Bangalore, the gifted artist now runs her dance school in Bangalore. Amidst this hustle and bustle, Dr Rekha Raju completed her PhD in dance from Mysore University, studying Margi and desi techniques of Bharatanatyam and Mohiniyattam. 

Her apprentice and assistant faculty trainer, Keerthi Uday, is currently pursuing her higher studies at Mount Carmel College (Bangalore, India). She has been learning the dance form Bharatanatyam at Nrithya Dhama Temple of Fine Arts since she was six, under the guidance of Dr Rekha Raju. 

She has also completed her Prarambhik and Praveshik Purna exams in Bharatanatyam from Bhartiya Sangeeth Prasarak Mandal (Pune) with flying colours. Apart from Bharatanatyam, she is also learning the dance forms Mohiniyatam under Dr. Rekha Raju, Thalam, and Nattuvangam under Sri. Jagdeesh Janardhanan. 

She is one of the faculty members of Dr Rekha Raju’s troupe and has assisted her in several workshops and significant dance festivals. Keerthi aims to help and dedicate her knowledge to the enrolled students.