Lifetime Award

American Natya Lifetime Achievement Award

American Natya Festival has created a tradition to honor the great savants of classical dance, who devoted and gave their life to promote Indian Classical dance in USA. This is a token of appreciation - “Thank you” - for their invaluable service, their time, dedication and contribution. Lifetime achievers have brought a huge change in their communities; created a space and highlighted Indian classical dance in the middle of American culture, true to the spirit of this country’s tradition, which values freedom of expression. These unique personalities gave the awareness of knowledge and existence of ancient dance traditions to Western audience by teaching one child at a time; by performing to one group of new set of people at a time. It is just awe to see their life’s work. There are many more in this country, whom we must recognize. We are fortunate, we are able to this humble job. Thank you for educating us and making us artists and art lovers

We bow down to these great minds with reverence.

2024 - American Natya Life Time Achievement Awardee

Guru ASHA GOPAL

Kalashri Asha Gopal is the founder/director of Arathi School of Dance in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. She is an accomplished dancer and a disciple of celebrated teachers: Guru Muthiah Pillai, Guru Kittappa Pillai and Professor U.S. Krishna Rao.
Asha has represented the Governments of Karnataka and India as cultural ambassador, in Sikkim performing in the presence of King of Sikkim, and in Canada in the presence of Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau. Also, she has performed abroad to discerning audience in Europe, Mexico and the USA. Here in India, she has performed in the presence of two Honorable Presidents of India and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Asha is a proud recipient of many prestigious awards. To name a few: ‘Singar Mani’ title from Sur Singar Samsad, Mumbai (1969), NRI Excellence award in London, England (1993), Karnataka Kalashri award from Sangeet Natak Academy (1999), and Citizen of the Year award from the Asian American Association of Arizona (2000).
Asha has received recognition in India for her tireless energy and dedication to the field of dance, earning heart-warming felicitations from Sri Ragam Fine Arts Society (Balasaraswati dance award in New Delhi, 2005), Sri Raja Rajeshwari Kalaniketan, Bengaluru (Natya Saraswati award, 2008), 25-year Vasundharotsava, Mysore (2010), Drishti Art Foundation, Bengaluru (Drishti Nrityakala Puraskara, 2011), Sangeetha Sambrama, Bengaluru (Nirantharam Festival, 2012) and Shivapriya School of Dance, Bengaluru (2014).
Arathi School of Dance was established in 1981, and reached a milestone of graduating the 100th student, in its 25th anniversary year! This year, in its 35th anniversary year, the school will graduate the 200th student!! The school feels greatly gratified that these, and many more students, have bonded with our art and culture in a foreign land. And, very importantly, they have acquired the fortitude to pass it on to the next generation!

What's included ?

A citation from American Natya Festival ; A check for $1000; Shawl ; A performance by students of Awardee; boarding + Lodging

2018 - American Natya Life Time Achievement Awardee

Guru Hema Sharma

Hema Sharma is a native of Chennai, India, where she started dancing (Bharathanatyam) at the age of 8 under the tutelage of Kancheepuram Gnaprakasam. She pursued advanced training under such renowned gurus as Padmashri Adyar K. Lakshman in Nattuvangam and Srimati Shanta and V.P. Dhananjayan in dance. She is also well versed in other Indian dance forms such as Kuchipudi, Mohini Attam, Kathak, and folk dances. She holds the titles of Natyaratna and Natyakalaratna. Hema Sharma established Nritya, School of Indian Dance and music in Kansas City in 1988 at the insistence of several community members who wanted her to promote classical Indian dance in Kansas City. The first dance school to be established in Kansas City, Nritya has come a long way in promoting the arts and culture of India through the Midwest. Over the course of her career as a dancer, Hema has been a dedicated performer, choreographer, teacher, and community volunteer, donating her time to spread the arts and culture of India throughout Kansas City. She is currently artistic director of Nritya. The school has expanded to currently include branches in Wichita, KS and Des Moines, IA. The Gateway Dance Theatre, Des Moines, with whom Hema has an on going collaboration, sponsors the classes in Des Moines, IA. Hema has worked tirelessly over the past 21 years to establish the Indian community as a strong constructive ethnic presence in Kansas City.

Nritya holds introductory workshops in Bharathanatyam specially designed to realize your dance potential. It is helpful for both children and adults to explore if they possess the inclination for dance before they enroll for a full time course. The introductory workshop is an interesting and informative package of dance and culture. Designed for the age group of 5 years and above, the classes will provide an insight into the basic structure of Bharatha natyam. Workshops will end with a performance by the students.

Mrs. Sharma is on the following Rosters: Touring Artists for Kansas Arts Commission, Teaching Artists for Kansas City Young Audiences. Mrs. Sharma holds a bachelor degree in accounting and economics, worked several years as a teller. She quit her job in 1993 to allocate more time to the community. Mrs. Sharma has been an active voice in the Indian Community since 1988. She has served the India Association of Kansas City on various different committees, as Program Chairperson. She was the Chairperson of Indian Association for the year 2002. She was the Program Chairperson for the year 2002 for the Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of Kansas City.

Mrs. Sharma has conducted hundreds of outreach programs integrating performing arts and cultural workshops in various Metropolitan Kansas City Schools and in the tri-state area. She volunteered her time every year for 2 weeks at the Center for International Studies of Shawnee Mission School District educating the 6th grade students on India. She has been the Mayor’s Ethnic Enrichment Commission Indian Commissioner since 1993.

Mrs. Sharma has been on the board for the past several years as a member, Third Vice Chairperson, Assistant Treasurer, Treasurer, and Chairperson for the past 2 years. Since she joined the EEC, she spent so much time volunteering for the good cause of EEC. Mrs. Sharma is the first recipient for 1994, 1995, 1996, 2001, 2004, 2007 Madalynne Brock Trophy award presented by the EEC for outstanding contribution to the cultural outreach community.

Previous winners

2011

Guru Mythili Kumar (San Jose, CA)

Guru Hema Rajagopalan (Chicago, IL)

2012

Guru Kamala Lakshman (New York, NY)

2015

Guru Viji Prakash (Los Angeles, CA)

2016

Dr. Lalitha Srinivasan (Bengaluru, India)

Revathy Satyu (Dallas, Texas)

Asha Prem (St. Louis, MO)

2017 - LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDEES

Guru Rathna Kumar

Rathna Kumar is an internationally renowned danseuse, teacher and choreographer, and the Founder-Director of the Anjali Center for Performing Arts, the first Indian dance school in Texas, established in 1975, and one of the first in the US.

Rathna Kumar, Houston’s prominent dance icon, is the foremost pioneer on the Indian arts scene, having established, 35 years ago, in 1975, the first institute of its kind in Texas – the AnjaliCenter for Performing Arts. Many in this country and elsewhere consider Rathna as the Indian cultural ambassador to the Unites States. She is an outstanding teacher, brilliant choreographer and exceptional dancer, always keeping in pace with the times but with a deep respect for tradition and classicism. From humble beginnings, the AnjaliCenter has grown into a comprehensive art institute and a formidable training ground for young and talented people in a variety of Indian art forms. The phenomenal strides made by Anjali in these past three and a half decades mark it as a microcosm of joy, energy, awareness, sense of accomplishment and integrity.

Rathna has trained over 2000 students from different ethnic backgrounds from all over the US, and has been recognized by many organizations – Young Audiences of Houston, Miller Theater Advisory Board, Texas Commission on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and UNESCO’s International Dance Council – as a true cultural ambassador of Indian performing arts in the US. She is the author of two illustrated books on the fundamental techniques of Bharata Natyam and Kuchipudi.

Rathna has taught Master Classes and courses in dance at the University of Houston, Houston Community College, High School for Performing and Visual Arts, Houston Ballet Academy, Trinity University (San Antonio), Towson State College (Maryland), University of Ann Arbor (Michigan), Academy of Fine Arts (London , UK), University of Texas (Austin and Dallas). She is currently teaching a credit course in Bharata Natyam at Rice University, Houston. She has also been a Teaching Artist with the Young Audiences of Houston for the past twelve years.

Guru Sudha Chandrashekar


'Natya Veda Bharati' Sudha Chandra Sekhar is Michigan's foremost senior exponent on the Classical Dance Arts of India and a former Government of India Scholarship Winner (chosen by Smt. Rukmini Arundale and E. Krishna Iyer). She has performed for an international audience of dignitaries and celebrities over her decades as an artist, including India's First Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. For the past 44 years she has wholly dedicated herself to the preservation and promotion of the dance arts as taught to her by the Gurus of Sri Rajarajeshwari Bharata Natya Kalamandir of Mumbai. Sudha has presented 75 students in their Bharata Natyam Arangetrams to date. Her academy 'Nritya Sudha's Hindu Temple Rhythms' boasts over 300 students in the U.S. and Canada, and her award-winning performance troupe 'The Vidyanjali Dancers' have been featured in numerous publications, television specials and even in the Michigan Opera Theatre's 2002 production of the French Opera 'Lakme' -- trained and joined by Sudha herself. Among her many esteemed titles and awards are the Michigan Dance Council's Lifetime Achievement Award (2004), and most recently the Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana's 'Nritya Seva Mani Award' (2010).