Niraja Ganesan
Niraja Ganesan is a highly trained classical dancer from India. She started learning Bharatanatyam at the age of 5 from Mrs. Revathi Muthuswamy of Srirangam Bharatanatyalaya, a renowned dance company based in the town of Trichy in Southern India. Niraja began performing at age 7 in elaborate dance ballets staged in India and abroad. By the time she was 16, Niraja had performed more than 700 times on stage, was training the younger students in the dance company, and was choreographing pieces in the dance ballets. In 2004-2005 Niraja refined her classical dance skills in Chennai - a large city in Southern India - under the tutelage of Smt. Indra Rajan, a recipient of the prestigious Kalaimamani Award bestowed by the State Government of Tamil Nadu. During this period, Niraja also trained in "Nattuvangam", one of the percussion instruments used in classical dance performances. As a teacher and artist Niraja draws inspiration from her mother Mrs. Chitra Ganesan, an accomplished Carnatic Music singer and teacher, who was also the vocalist for the Srirangam dance company during their days in Trichy. Niraja's desire is to instill in her students the values that she received from her mother and her Gurus - an unyielding passion and dedication to one's chosen artform, and the willingness to share the art with the world at large. Niraja believes that giving her students the opportunity to perform on stage at a young age is essential to developing their confidence. This exposes them to the true essence of the artform - the ability to lose oneself in a character, connect with the audience, and effectively convey a story. |