Shobana performs the south Indian classical dance form, known as Bharata Natyam, which melds pure movement and intricate rhythms with a rich language of hand gestures and dramatic expression. In its purest form, it is a sacred offering, extolling the tales of the Hindu gods and goddesses, and expressing the many facets of devotion. In its more contemporary forms, Bharata Natyam today is a global art form, cherished for its elegant footwork, sculpturesque poses and postures, and dynamic storytelling possibilities.
Training:
Shobana began her training in Bharata Natyam under the renowned Padma Bhushan Kamala Narayan in New York in 1980. Since 1992, she has continued her advanced training in the Vazhuvoor style of Bharata Natyam under Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Guru Smt. Rhadha, at the Pushpanjali School of Dance, in Chennai, India. Shobana has also participated in master classes, workshops and modules with dance gurus Prof. C.V. Chandrasekhar, K.J. Sarasa, S.K. Rajaratnam and Jothy Raghavan.
Performance:
Shobana has performed in numerous solo and group productions of her Guru, including “Shiva Sakti” (North American tour), “Jaya Jaya Gokula Bala” and “Lalgudi Lavanyam” (presented at Krishna Gana Sabha, Chennai and Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana). Shobana has been a featured dancer in the works of exciting U.S.-based contemporary choreographers Parijat Desai, Ananya Chatterjea, Rajika Puri and Malini Srinivasan, at venues such as the Joyce SoHo, NY; St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery; The Queens Museum of Art; the Construction Company, NY; Wang Center, Stony Brook University; and the Other Festival, Chennai, India. As a vocalist, Shobana has provided live and recorded vocals and nattuvangam for the Parijat Desai Dance Company, in a highly praised music-dance collaboration for the piece “Quiet Fire“.
In 2005-06, Shobana received an Individual Artist Grant from the Indiana Arts Commission, to continue advanced training and to present RANJANAM, a weekend of performance and lecture-demonstration, with dancer Sunanda Narayanan, at the Waldron Arts Center, Bloomington, IN. She has taught master dance classes at Indiana University and has guest-lectured in the Department of Religious Studies, Indiana University.
Vocal Training:
Shobana is trained in Carnatic (south Indian classical) Vocal music, studying under venerable gurus such as Smt. Jayalakshmi Santhanam, the Bombay Sisters, K.R. & Meera Kedaranathan, and Bombay Jayashri. She has had the rare and cherished privilege of learning a piece from the legendary vocalist Smt. M.S. Subbulakshmi. Writing about Shobana’s vocal performance for the Parijat Desai Dance Company, the New York Times hailed her singing as a “gently unstoppable force of nature.”
Arts Education:
For the past 15 years, Shobana has been an active K-12 Arts Educator and Arts Integration Specialist in NY and Indiana schools, offering performances, workshops and residencies for K-12 students and teachers. As a Teaching Artist with LEAP (Learning Through an Expanded Arts Program), Shobana creates engaging literacy-thru-the-arts lessons for K-5 classes, as well as dance education. As a Teaching Artist with the Tilles Center for Performing Arts, C.W. Post campus, Long Island University, Shobana works in Long Island area schools, exploring art-making and creativity through a focus work of art.
Shobana is a former elementary classroom teacher, with experiences in curriculum development, literacy teaching, and international education and arts grantmaking. She has worked for institutions as diverse as the Ford Foundation, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Village Community School. She holds a Master’s degree in International Educational Development (with concentration in Early Childhood Curriculum & Teaching), from Teachers College, Columbia University, NY.
