Tradition. Precision. Grace.
Sainrithya Dance Academy - Celebrating our 27 years in Oklahoma
Our Alumni Ambassadors
Company Dancer
Akansha Chandrasekhar
Company Dancer
Meghna Shankar
Company Dancer
Tanvi Saran
- Medical School at Baylor University
- Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Pre-Medicine,University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Dance has been a powerful force that has shaped me in every phase of my life. As a young child, dance taught me what it means to be passionate and as I grew up, that passion bloomed into the dedication and discipline that I carry today. As an immigrant that spent much of my childhood moving between countries. Learning Bharatanatyam allowed me to reconnect to my roots and embrace the beauty in my culture. I teach dance so that other kids can develop a similar appreciation for their heritage while making unforgettable memories.
I love working with kids and I hope to be a pediatric neurologist one day.
I started learning Bharathnatyam at the age of 5 from Sowmya Aunty and Ramya Aunty. It’s hard to believe that I have been their student for seventeen years! Throughout my time, I have had numerous rewarding experiences representing Sai Nrithya dance academy.
From winning second place with my sister, Swathi in the international dance festival at OU to many road trips to Arkansas and Dallas for various performances to traveling to India with my fellow company dancers performing at many prominent temples in South India. I am so grateful to Ramya Aunty and Sowmya Aunty for giving me these experiences and shaping me into the dancer I am today. My best wishes to the current and future students of Sainrithya!
Sainrithya dance academy has been such a significant part of my life. I’ve been a part of this school since I was 5, and I’ve built so many life-long relationships that I will cherish. It founded my passion for dance, and I will always be grateful for that. I know I received the best possible instruction from my two amazing teachers, and they always pushed me to do my best. Dance is such a major part of my life, and this school is the place where it all started.
Swathi Shankar
- Doctor of Law
University of Notre Dame
Rishma Vora
- Georgetown University
I joined Sai Nrithya Dance Academy at its inception, and spent 10 years as a student under Sowmya and Ramya. The dance school quickly became my second home, as my weekends and holidays were filled with dance practices and performances. As a student, I was given the chance to perform and compete in venues across Oklahoma and Texas. I also had the honor of being the school’s first student to perform an arangetram, which I did with my sister Meghna, in 2007. My time at Sainrithya Dance Academy gave me great technique, the confidence to perform, and love for Bharatanatyam that is still with me today.
Dance has most certainly been one of the most fundamental aspects of who I am. It’s taught me so much about myself and my ability to grow, but also about my South Asian identity in such a creative and beautiful way. My foundations in Bharatanatyam with Sainrithya Dance Academy were so strong because the technical and expressive sides of dance were equally emphasized and trained. I met some of my best friends and mentors through this community, and it will always be extremely close to my heart. Even though I had to move immediately after my arangetram, my connection to dance only exponentially grew with time. I’m so thankful to Sowmya Aunty, Ramya Aunty, and Tanvi Saran (my dance partner in crime) for the beautiful relationships we have formed and the incredible art form you have passed on to me.
Kavya Khanna
- University of California at Santa Barbara
Sainrithya has given me the remarkable opportunity to preserve and appreciate such an alluring art form. What I have taken away from barathnatyam, is something irreplaceable by any of the other activities I am currently involved in. The complex technique and expression that is a key asset to this dance, isn’t the only thing I benefitted from. It was the daily practice, and valuable instruction from my Gurus that enriched me with knowledge I am able to carry out in many aspects of my life. It is so pleasing to be around other dancers who share the same drive and value for dance. I’m very thankful for the impact that dance has had on me in the past years.
Rishika Khanna
Tara Ramakrishnan
- University of California, Los Angeles
- Oklahoma City University
I would say that Bharatnatyam is a very unique way to get in touch with my backgrounds and roots. Along with learning the dance form, we also got to learn about stories and traditions from my culture. Sainrithya created a sense of community for me letting me be around people who wanted to learn dance and now they are some of my closest friends
My passion for Bharatanatyam blossomed from becoming a student of Sainrithya Dance Academy. Not only was I able to learn the technical aspects of this classical South Indian dance style, but I also gained a deeper understanding of and greater appreciation for the stories I was able to portray over the years. It has been such a privilege to learn this art form. I would like to thank both of my gurus, Sowmya Aunty and Ramya Aunty, for instilling a life-long love of Bharatanatyam within me.
