Archana School of Dance

For me, Bharatanatyam is more than a dance form. it is a living sociocultural institution shaped by history, community, and resilience. That is what inspired me to start .
In this blog, I explore how this sacred art has evolved over time while preserving its spiritual, cultural, and expressive essence. A meaningful read for dancers, parents, and anyone curious about the deeper role of classical arts in society. Special thanks to Indian Fine Arts Academy, San Diego for publishing this article in the 19th Annual Music and Dance Festival Souvenir. I am extremely grateful to my guru Nritya Kalanidhi Padma Shri Dr. Narthaki Nataraj akka for sharing her infinite wisdom in shaping this article and passing down the rich Thanjavur legacy to me.
👉 Click here:

Bharatanatyam as a Socio-Cultural Institution - Smt. Aarthi Narain — Archana School of Dance Historical Lineage, Performance Practice, and Contemporary Challenges

Grateful for the incredible opportunity to perform in front of local music and dance enthusiasts during the Indian fine arts Academy of San Diego’s 19th annual music and dance festival. Thank you for the wonderful opportunity and so proud of the students who performed.

Archana School of Dance offers Bharathanatyam classes specializing in Thanjavur choreography under the tutelage of Guru Smt. Aarthi Narain . Drop us a DM if interested in learning more

Happy New Year 2026 as we kick off Dr. Annie Besant Memorial Dance Festival TODAY! Welcome one and all.

What a fitting finish to 2025 with Nandita Anantharaman .natyam performing at the Mahalingapuram Ayyappan temple with god’s blessings and Guru Smt. Aarthi Narain on Nattuvangam in the presence of Padmashri Narthaki Nataraj akka and Shakthi Bhaskar akka. Many devotees at the Temple sat through the whole program and blessed her.

Margazhi performance by Nandita representing Archana School of Dance under the tutelage of Guru Smt. Aarthi Narain. Special thanks to TTVV Trust TVP School Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival 🙏🏽

On behalf of Archana School of Dance Inviting one and all to Nandita’s first Margazhi performance tomorrow. Please come and bless her with your presence. .natyam

Grateful for another successful annual day for Archana School of Dance at the UCSD Mandeville Auditorium thanks to blessings from my family and Guru. Dr. Narthaki Nataraj . This annual day was dedicated to my father Late Dr. N.S. Mahalingam and my very first Bharathanatyam guru Late Mrs. Madhavi Chandrasekhar, both of whom are watching over from a distance. The students practiced hard and for many of them this was their first time on stage. Special thanks to an amazing musical ensemble. Smt. Keerthana Viswanathan on Vocal, Nivik Sanjay Bharadwaj on Violin, Ishaani Ramaswamy on the Veena, Krishna Maganti and Srivantsan Srinivasan on the Mridangam. A cameo from Sai Narain playing percussion. Thank you Smt. Meera Ramanathan .r_art_class for taking the time to be our special Chief Guest and sharing some beautiful words with our students and families. Much gratitude to many friends, families, board members, and art enthusiasts for taking the time to be there and support us despite the weather. Here are some highlights from the event.
https://vimeo.com/archanaschoolofdance/asd25highlights
Photo Credits: Sundar Karthikeyan

Grateful to this wonderful live orchestra that performed during the Annual Day 2025 at the

Keerthana Viswanathan on the vocal, Nivik Sanjay Bharadwaj on the violin, Ramaswamy on the Veena, Vamsi Krishna Maganti and Srivatsan Srinivasan on the Mridangam, Sai Narain on multiple percussion instruments. Last but not the least Guru Smt. Aarthi Narain