Artistic Directors

Dr. Shriya Srinivasan

Founder & Artistic Director

Dr. Shriya Srinivasan has learnt Bharathanatyam from her Guru and mother Sujatha Srinivasan, Artistic Director of Shri Kalaa Mandir. She is known for her vibrant stage presence, emotive capacity and ability to blend sharp nritta with elegant grace. Blending the artistic traditions of Bharatanatyam with modern themes, Shriya has recently co-choreographed Vivarta: Transformations-an original work on environmental conservation, Manas: The Charioteer Within, and Samayam: A moment in Eternity. She co-founded and directs the Anubhava Dance Company, comprised of second-generation Indian-American Bharathanatyam dancers and musicians, and has toured over 18 cities with her new productions, winning great acclaim. An upcoming Carnatic vocalist, passionate about sanskrit and yoga, she brings a holistic approach to her art and recently performed in the prestigious Madras Music Academy’s Spirit of Youth Festival and HCL series. Shriya is currently a professor of Biomedical Engineering at Harvard University and aims to bring current social themes to life through the beauty and pristine form of the classical Indian arts.

Joshua George

Founder & Artistic Director

Joshua began his dance journey at the age of 4 under the tutelage of Sri Thomas Ottakkunnel. He was the youngest recipient of the title 'Nritha Rajan' (King of Dance) from the Federation of Kerala Associations in North America (FOKANA) in 2003. Joshua's learning and passion for the art of bharatanatyam truly flourished with the teachings of his Guru - Smt. Poonam Mahesh, artistic director of Nrityanant Performing Arts, under whose guidance he became the first two-time winner of the Cleveland Thygaraja Aradhana dance competition. He co-founded the Anubhava Dance Company in 2015 with the hope of amplifying the voices of second-generation Indian-American artists and inspiring future generations to explore traditional-Indian art-forms.

The Anubhava Dance Ensemble

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Shriya Srinivas

Principal Dancer

Shriya Srinivas began her dance training under the tutelage of Guru Sridevi Ajai Thirumalai, Natyamani School of Dance at the age of 5. She performed her Arangetram in June 2012. Guru and student were praised immensely for the Margam chosen for the Arangetram. Shriya was praised equally for both her Nritta and Abhinaya skills. For 20 years, Guru Sridevi instilled in Shriya an immense love for the Bharathanatyam dance form. She now continues her learning with Guru Aishwarya Balasubramanian, Arpanam Academy of Bharatanatyam and hopes to continue her learning with passion and joy for years to come. Shriya has participated and won in local dance competitions in the New England area and at the Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana Festival. Shriya has given many solo and duo performances and has participated in group productions from Natyamani School of Dance in both USA and India. Apart from her continued learning, she is a dancer in the Anubhava Dance Company, and company created by Dr. Shriya Srinivasan and Joshua George. She has also learnt Carnatic Music from Guru Tara Bangalore for 13 years. Shriya is is a Graphic Designer in the Boston area. She is very passionate about dance and with the blessings of her Guru, hopes to continue to explore its vast horizons in the years to come.

Swathi Jaisankar

Principal Dancer

Swathi Jaisankar is a Bharatanatyam Artist based in Boston. She has won numerous accolades and has given several notable performances in the US and abroad including solo margams during the Chennai Margazhi Festival, the World Government Summit in Dubai opening for the PM of India, the United Nations Headquarters, and the Indian High Commission in London. She has also been invited to perform at the Jacob’s Pillow Festival, Erasing Borders Festival, and Geeva Arts Festival. Her work has been featured in the Times of India and Gulf News. She is the disciple of Smt. Aishwarya Balasubramanian, with her initial training being from Smt. Suba Parmar & Sri. Swamimalai K. Suresh. Also, Swathi is a National YoungArts Winner, Cleveland Aradhana Finalist, NJ Natya Sangamam Winner, and has been awarded the title of “NJ Natya Shiromani”. As a Creative Director of Dance at IndianRaga, Swathi choreographed and performed in over 30 productions receiving millions of views online as well as global acclaim. She has also used this platform to bring attention to various social topics such as narrative medicine and LGBTQ+ awareness. Swathi currently works as a Product Analyst while continuing to pursue her passion for dance.

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Sita Vakkalanka

Principal Dancer

Sita Vakkalanka began learning Bharatanatyam under Guru Sujatha Srinivasan, Artistic Director of Shri Kalaa Mandir, in 2008 and completed her Arangetram in 2015. Sita has had the opportunity to perform in numerous festivals in both the United States and India, garnering praise for her artistry. She has also clinched top honors in various prestigious dance competitions including the Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana, Natya Idol in St. Louis, National YoungArts, and she most recently won first place at the New Jersey Natya Sangamam Natyanjali 2023 competition. In addition to her dance, Sita is a budding Carnatic vocalist and has been under the tutelage of Dr. Ravikumar Malladi of the Malladi Brothers since 2008. Sita holds a bachelor’s degree in Molecular and Cell Biology along with a certificate in Global Health from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and she is passionate about striking a harmonious equilibrium between her profession and the arts.

Nithya Kasibhatla

Principal Dancer

Nithya Kasibhatla, disciple of Guru Sujatha Srinivasan,

artistic director of Shri Kalaa Mandir, is a passionate young Bharatanatyam dancer from Cleveland, OH. She completed her arangetram in June 2016 and has performed and won prizes at several cultural events in the US and India, including the grand prize at the Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival, 2017, and first place at New Jersey Natya Sangamam, 2018. She received a BS in neuroscience and a BA in English writing from the University of Pittsburgh, where she served as captain and advisor for Nrityamala, Pitt’s award-winning collegiate classical dance team. Although she is currently a student at the Ohio State University, where she is earning her Master’s degree in Applied Neuroscience, she continues to nurture her passion for Bharatanatyam. Her pursuit of Carnatic music under the tutelage of Smt. Aparna Devaguptapu and Sri Lalit Subramanian and deep interest in fine arts lend a unique grace to her dancing that sets her apart in quality and rendition.