Upahaar School of Dance

Snippets of our second workshop of the day where some senior students learnt a Keerthanam on Lord Krishna by Divya, a choreography of her own, beautifully filled with jumps, spins, motifs from kuchipudi and challenging adavus!

Thank you to divya for conducting such an exiting afternoon of Bharatanatyam

Snippets of our first workshop of today with Divya Ramachandran, where students learnt a Ganesha Shabdam, choreography of our Gurus Natyacharyas The Dhananjayans.

A splendid afternoon exploring abhinaya, footwork, different characters and thalam!

A message from Divya about our two workshops planned for this Saturday 9th May! Don't miss out and book now on our website!

Venue: Harris Academy Purley, South Croydon
Time : 12:15pm for Workshop 1 - Ganesha Shabdam
3pm for Workshop 2 - Adugindran Ayyan Keerthanam

Price: Workshop 1 : £20
Workshop 2 : £30
Workshop 1 and 2 : £45!

Book now on :https://www.upahaar.co.uk/events/bharatanatyam-workshop-with-divya-ramachandran-2026-05-02-13-00
or contact : +44 7811 823684

Another snippet of Divya Ramachandran in Action!

More about Divya:
Her grasp of Natya and her lifelong dedication to it, has ensured that she transcends the facial, gestural and narrative movements that are components of any classical artist and transports the audience to a time and space in their mind, where they are truly living the narrative that she is emoting.

Natya, according to Divya, is a cohesive rendering of a complex narrative; featuring intricate movement and expansive mimetic gestures that is built around various universal themes and feelings and encompasses the gamut of emotions a human being ever experiences. According to her, this is the primary focus of a dancer - to accurately communicate these themes that might have mythology woven through it, but is actually a long series of human emotions that are woven together stylistically and represent the human race in all its glory – and showcase them to an audience with all its subtlety!

With this in mind, DISHA CENTRE FOR ARTS was started by Divya to welcomes anyone with a desire to connect to the vast cultural heritage of India, through the arts. The centre aims to not slot enthusiasts into a timetable, but rather let the training flow in tune with the patterns of each individual passion, with the sole purpose to helping the Individual progress in their journey with their chosen art form.

DISHA was solely created to enable more and more people to connect to the classical arts that are part of India’s rich tapestry of interwoven cultures and enable mainstream conversations in the global world of arts. Her hope to help every student find their path in life, through this ancient art form and making DISHA relevant to herself and to all her students, patron and well-wishers across the world.

Join us on May 9th at Harris Academy Purley for a Bharatanatyam Workshop of a Shabdam and Keerthanam by Divya starting from 12pm!

Book now at www.upahaar.co.uk or through the link in our bio

A snippet of Divya Ramachandran in action at Krishna Gana Sabha!

Join us for two incredible workshops on May 9th in South Croydon consisting of a Ganesha Shabdham and Adygindran Ayyan Krithi run by Divya!

About Divya:
Hailing from a family of artists , Divya took to dancing at the tender age of five! Being the niece of THE DHANANJAYANS – the globe-trotting, world famous dancer couple, from Chennai – she was fortunate to train under their guidance & tutelage from a very young age. Having undergone almost three decades of rigorous training under them, she has not only become a renowned dancer and performer in her own right, but has also gone on to start her own school, so that she can help others understand the nuances of Natya – the way she was taught by her reknowned gurus.

As a homage to her guru’s and their tutelage– she has started her own school, called Disha Schools of Performing Arts – to actively bring classical art, and more specifically, Bharatanatayam, to the next generation. She continues to propagate the legacy that was handed to her and the dance form, of which she’s been associated with for the better part of thirty years!

Divya combines grace and artistry in her dancing, which has won the appreciation of connoisseurs of this art, not just in India, but from across the world. She conducts workshops across the world, and ensure the primacy of Bharatanatayam, by inspiring scores of amateurs and professional dancers, everywhere.

Stay tuned to hear more about Divya and Join us on May 9th for some incredible workshops! Book tickets on www.upahaar.co.uk

Watch a collection of clips summarising how our students prepare for their ISTD Bharatanatyam Exams: through practicing the warm ups, to the dance, to recitation and their music syllabus - Our Artistic Director and Head Teacher Shalini Shivashankar guides them through all aspects of the exam syllabus to build their confidence and ensure they enjoy this experience!

Snippets of Our Grade 4 student practicing Tisra Alarippu ahead of their exams! These videos are from our South Croydon branch on Saturdays at Harris Academy Purley! Book a trial class for Bharatanatyam classes now on www.upahaar.co.uk

Snippets of our Performance and Workshop with Lakshmi Parthasarathy Athreya today! An amazing turn out and beautiful piece shared within our community!