This salon series explores the power of solo bharatanatyam repertoire. By way of discussion, performance, and (usually) food, we learn about and explore what this timeless repertoire still gives us today.

Also, we just love varnams. The varnam is often the “main” piece in a solo bharatanatyam performance. It allows a dancer to go deep into content and explore his or her connection to the timeless characters in these pieces. It often lasts between 20-40 minutes, with some varnams by senior masters lasting over 50 minutes to packed halls.

Varnam Salon 3.0 features online performances and conversations by Surabhi Bharadwaj, Aishwarya Raman, Vivek Ramanan, Nikita Rao, and Alagu Chidambaram.

The Varnam Salon is a series of performances by California-based senior art practitioners, mid-career artists and upcoming dancers. This initiative is supported by the California Arts Council Local Impact Grant and is created and curated by Nadhi Thekkek, Shruti Abhishek, and Preethi Ramaprasad.

Note: One evening is $21. A weekend pass to both evenings is $31.

Surabhi Bharadwaj

Surabhi Bharadwaj, Artistic Director of Siddhi Dance Academy, Dublin, California, is a seasoned Bharatanatyam dancer, teacher, and choreographer trained under eminent Gurus in India including - Guru K M Raman, Guru Radha Sridhar, Guru B Bhanumati, and currently under Mavin Khoo. She learnt the Karana movements under Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam and later practiced it under the guidance of Guru Nirupama Rajendra. Surabhi holds an MFA in Bharatanatyam from Sastra University, Thanjavur and an MFA in Dance: Design and Production from Saint Mary’s College of California. Surabhi is an Empanelled Artist of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations and is also recognized as a Graded Artist by Doordarshan (the National Broadcasting Channel of India). She has received accolades for her performances (both solo and ensemble) across India, USA, Europe, and the Middle East. She has worked as the Principal Dancer of Punyah Dance Company and in Raadha Kalpa Dance Company (two leading classical dance companies in India) before moving to the USA in 2015. Apart from dancing, Surabhi also freelances as a dance lighting designer. Her debut dance production: Ashrutam – The Unheard Voice, premiered at San Francisco in November 2019 received rave reviews. She continues to create work and hopes to reach diverse communities through her dance.

Aishwarya Raman

Vid. Aishwarya Raman, a disciple of Kalayogi Guru Smt. Vandya Srinath, has been learning and performing Bharatanatyam in the Kalakshetra bani for over 20 years now. She performed her Arangetram in March 2012. She has performed extensively in India, UAE and the United States. Some of her major performances in India include Shilparamam – Hyderabad, Articulate Festival – Mysore, Mysore Dasara, Udupi Paryaya, Every Friday Performance under the banner of Indian Council for Cultural Relations and many more. In the United States, she has performed in Los Angeles Indian Dance and Music Festival, Diwali at University of Southern California, NAVIKA festival, various temples of the United States, The Sivamani Residence – Sunnyvale, Naipunya Dance Festival, KKNC Deepothsava, among others. Along with dancing, Aishwarya has supported various dancers on Nattuvangam and also emceed for different dance events. She has attended workshops of dance and other aspects related to dance by stalwarts such as Sri. Kiran Subramanyam, Smt. Bragha Bessell, Rama Vaidyanathan, Sri. D V Prasanna Kumar and Sri Shankar Kandasamy. She is a recipient of many honours and accolades, the latest one being recognized for promoting Indian Cultural Arts at USC by Daily Trojan – official newspaper of University of Southern California. She is the founder of Anveshanam – Artistic Quest, a platform to explore various expressions of Indian artforms across the globe. While Aishwarya holds a Vidwat degree in Bharatanatyam (equivalent to Bachelor’s degree), she is also a Master’s graduate in Biomedical Engineering from University of Southern California, Los Angeles. She is currently working in a medical device start-up called Akesis based out of Concord, CA and continues her passion for dance by performing in Bay Area and other states regularly.

Vivek Ramanan

Vivek Ramanan was trained under Smt. Madhusri Sethuraman and Smt. Vidhya Subramanian, and is now a student of Dr. Apoorva Jayaraman. Vivek was an IndianRaga Fellow in 2016 and Creative Director in 2017, conceptualizing and filming Indian dance and music productions online. In 2019, he formed Samsthana, with Aarthy Sundar and Surya Ravi, as a collective for their shared dance experience. Vivek is also an accomplished mridangist and konnakol artist, student of Sri Ramesh Srinivasan.

Nikita Rao

Nikita Rao is a native of Southern California and predominantly trained under Smt. Viji Prakash in Los Angeles. She completed her arangetram in 2011, and has since performed with the Shakti Dance Company in many productions, including Ramayana, Krishnam Vande Jagat Gurum, Shyama, and Mara. Nikita has been training under Mythili Prakash for the last 3 years, and in 2018 she trained under Smt. Bragha Bessell and Smt. Malavika Sarukkai in Chennai. Nikita is a graduate of UC Berkeley and now resides in Los Angeles.

Alagu Chidambaram

I was born in Fremont, California and began learning Bharatanatyam at the age of 5 with Guru Vishal Ramani in the Bay Area. My family later moved to Folsom, where my instruction continued under Guru Meenakshy Bhaskar. I completed my undergraduate degree at UC Davis and Masters at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. I currently work as a business analyst at Barclays. Outside of work and dance, I enjoy cooking, reading, and traveling. Dance to me is a form of mediation. I am able to separate myself from outside stressors (and in these times there are many) and find peace and stillness through my movement. Despite all the uncertainty, my ability to dance and continue working on my craft has given me hope and joy.