Shakti Chakra

Hema Rajagopalan, Founder & Artistic Director.

Hema is a dancer, teacher, and choreographer of international repute, committed to preserving Bharatanatyam in its full integrity, developing the art form in new directions, and bringing it to diverse audiences.

Hema has performed as a soloist at prestigious festivals and venues throughout the world, receiving critical acclaim. Noteworthy among them are the Avignon festival in France, the Edinburgh Festival in the U.K , The Festival of India in the U.S, The Festival of India at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, and the Field Museum in Chicago, the Music and Dance festival in Chennai, and other music and dance festivals across India. Noteworthy venues being Mandapa in Paris, the NCPA in Mumbai, India, and the India International Center in Delhi. Her gurus are some of the foremost figures in Bharatanatyam: Padma Shri awardee Shri K. N. Dandayudapani Pillai and Padma Bhushan awardee Smt. Kalanidhi Narayanan.

Amongst the many prestigious awards that Hema has received are an Emmy Award for the PBS production of World Stage Chicago, seven National Endowment for the Arts Choreography Awards (the highest number ever received by any American choreographer), and, in India, the Vishwa Kala Bharathi Award for artistic excellence. In 2004, she was the first choreographer working in an Indian movement tradition to be selected by the Chicago Dancemakers Forum to create new work, and was also honored by the Bhairavi Fine Arts Society and Cleveland Tyagaraja Aradhana with the Nritya Seva Mani (Devotee of Dance) Award: Hema is the first US-based dancer to receive this award. In 2011, she was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by Soorya Dance Festival in St. Louis. In 2021, she was awarded the highly acclaimed Dance Legacy Award , by See Chicago Dance recognizing her immense contributions to the dance field at large.

Most recently in 2022, the Chicago Women’s L Project recognized Hema as a woman of”influence, creativity, and courage” with Harrison Station named after her. This distinction is shared amongst many other distinguished luminaries, such as Michelle Obama, Jane Byrne, Gwendolyn Brooks, Ruth Page, Betty Ford, Mahalia Jackson, and Oprah Winfrey.

Scores of students trained under Hema have distinguished themselves as performers, teachers and choreographers. Her teaching accolades include the Master Teacher Award from the Asian American Heritage Council and the Master Teacher Award from the City of Chicago. She has served as a dance panelist with the National Endowment for the Arts, the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Illinois Arts Council, and other state arts agencies. Hema has been appointed by the Canadian government to assess Bharatanatyam dance training programs. and also conducts workshops and master classes at colleges and universities throughout the country.

Hema strongly feels that, as an artist, her task is to produce not only aesthetically pleasing performances, but also to consider her responsibilities as a citizen of the world. She is deeply influenced by the evolving cultural environment around her, and uses her art to foster cross-cultural understanding and social harmony. As a choreographer, she has created numerous short works, as well as over fifty evening-length productions that have toured to leading national and international venues.

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Krithika Rajagopalan, Co-Artistic Director.

Krithika Rajagopalan is a performer, teacher and choreographer. Beginning her dance training under her Gurus Smt. Hema Rajagopalan and Padma Bhushan Kalanidhi Narayanan. She has trained in Yoga, Kalari Payattu and also has certifications in both Gyrotonic and Pilates. Krithika is Co-Artistic Director of and Principal Dancer of Natya Dance Theatre . She has presented solo and ensemble performances at prestigious venues all over the world, including the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., the Music and Dance Festival of Madras, India, and the National Centre for Performing Arts in Bombay, to name a few. Highlights of her performance engagements include the honor of performing for President Bill Clinton, original commissioned performances with acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, the World Music Institute NY, and working in collaboration with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Lookingglass Theatre to create MainStage productions.

Krithika’s dance and choreographic credits include solos, residencies, master classes, curated curriculums for colleges and universities , as well as full productions. She has worked on collaborations with other music and dance genres on cross-cultural theatre stages, produced and written scripts for dance theatre, and continues to create awareness and accessibility for Bharatanatyam internationally. She was recognized with awards such as the Illinois Arts Council Master Teacher Award, and the Jerome Foundation Residency, as she was chosen to be the Artist in Residence at The Doris Duke Foundation in Shangri-La. In the past 10 years, she has participated in, curated, and produced multiple dance productions and conferences internationally as she continues to present on global stages.

Krithika sustains her passion to innovate art that strives to bring social awareness to the environment, global communities, and people, while staying true to the integrity of Bharatanatyam. Krithika incorporates her 33 years of experience to focus on developing a strong, holistic, healthy dancer curriculum, that supports each phase of learning. She continues to be a life learner and is extremely passionate about bringing Bharatanatyam to the next generation of audiences and torchbearers.

ORCHESTRA

Govindachari Vijayaraghavan, Mridangam & Kanjeera percussion
Mr. Vijayaraghavan is one of the leading percussionists in India, and has been honored by the President of India three times. He trained under Madurai T. Srinivasan and Kumbakonam T.V. Balu. He is a familiar figure in India, having performed frequently on All India Radio and at the Sangeet Sammelan festival. In addition, he released a cassette and published a book, Nritya Ganamrudam. Mr. Vijayaraghavan has accompanied prominent Bharatanatyam dancers in venues around the world with critics hailing his playing as an integral, entertaining component of these events. He also has a rare gift for writing poetry and lyrics for Bharatanatyam.

T. S. Sankaran, Flute [deceased]
Mr. Sankaran hails from Tanjore, and was born into a musical family. He initially learnt form his father, TS Sambasivam, who was the Aasthanan Vidwan of Thiruvaavadudurai and Mysore. Later he studied under the tutelage of renowned TR Mahalingam, who publicly proclaimed TS Sankaran as “EKALAVYA”. Additionally, he has received the highest honor bestowed on artists by the government of India: Kalaimamani (the “diamond” of artists designation). Sankaran has given solo concerts for over 40 years at various venues around the world, and enjoyed widespread fame and respect by virtue of his association with All India Radio, national television in India, and numerous appearances at the prestigious Sangeet Sammelan festival. TS Shankaran accompanied Natya Dance Theatre for nearly forty years, touring national & international venues, and composing several original works for the company.

Suseela Ramaswamy: Vocals [deceased]
Mrs. Ramaswamy was well known as a leading vocalist, well versed in dance techniques. She was a disciple of T.M. Thyagarajan, performing frequently in India, on All India Radio, and served as accompaniment for well-known dancers across India. She was a member of the Natya Dance Theatre Orchestra for nearly thirty years, touring national & international venues, and composing several original works for the company.