Shruti Upadhyay

Dr. Shruti Upadhyay, performer, choreographer and educator, immersed herself in learning the
South Indian Classical Dance, Bharata Natyam, for over four decades. As a performer, she seeks
to absorb and capture the essence of traditional Bharata Natyam. She firmly believes that art
forms must retain their aesthetic beauty while imbibing creativity and modernity.

First in her family born in America, Shruti graduated from Parkway Central High School in St.
Louis, Missouri and began her initiation to classical dance with Shrimati Sujata Vinjamuri of
Kuchipudi Arts Academy. At the age of 18, Shruti left the comfortable nest of America to join
Kalakshetra, College of Fine Arts and with the Dhananjayans in Chennai, India, where she
underwent vigorous and intense training, grasping and imbibing the essence of dance. Six years
of living in India strengthened her ability to handle stress, gain self-confidence, and knowledge
and awareness of different cultures, traditions, and people.

As a result, Shruti performed professionally for over two decades and had the opportunity to
travel to many countries: Singapore, London, Canada, to name a few. By the age of 25, Shruti
had toured, performed, and taught master classes in at least 10 countries, in all types of venues,
festivals, and conditions. She has performed and toured not only with Kalakshetra, but also with
her gurus the Dhananjayans, varying other artists like Anita Ratnam, Joyti Raghavan, G.
Narendra, Thiruchelwam, Shijith Krishna, Guru Prasanna Kasturi, etc. She has also shared the
stage with stalwarts such as Pandit Ravi Shankar and Zakir Hussan. For over ten years, Shruti
taught traditional Bharata Natyam, integrated with Carnatic and Hindustani music, yoga, dance
theory, dramatics, and mythology by connecting it with American perceptions, attitudes, and
beliefs .

Her myriad of experiences and her hunger to perform gave Shruti the innate ability to empathize
with others and understand the delicate similarities that exist between cultures and beliefs.
Despite her love for performing and choreographing, Shruti’s soul felt more fulfilled after
teaching a class or giving a lecture demonstration, where people learned about art or the meaning
behind the choreography. Her heart leaned to teaching and so, while Shruti began a dance school,
she gained credentials in education with an M.A in English and an EdD in Educational
Leadership. For 20 years, Shruti’s students learned empathy by experiencing a conflict through
another point of view in her courses on Philosophy, AP English Language, and Honors English
classes at Ladue High School. Teaching allowed her to be an advocate for students, their parents,
and society at large.

Shruti is currently an Assistant Principal at Parkway Central High School. Shruti believes that all
of her worldly experiences in dance were ultimately for this purpose: to empathize with students
of all backgrounds and open their minds to other perceptions in order to build a more
compassionate world.