Shoba Natarajan
A dancer par excellence...
Shoba is a multi-talented artist with an extraordinary understanding of the classical art forms of Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, and Carnatic Music. As a dancer, her Nritta is precise and breathtaking, and her Abhinaya is sensitive and evocative - these qualities make her stage performances a singular aesthetic and emotional experience. Her ability to communicate the depth and subtlety of human emotions through mime and movement are a consequence of her exceptional innate talent, coupled with an uncompromising dedication to the pursuit of these classical art forms.
A creative choreographer...
Shoba’s dance choreography combines a deep knowledge of Music and Mythology, an intrinsic flair for Rhythm (Layam), precision with the cymbals (Nattuvangam), and impeccable clarity in the recitation of the ‘Jathis.’ Her innovative techniques add a modern sensibility and sophistication to her choreography, while at the same time strictly adhering to the formal grammar of these traditional art forms. In addition, her open-minded approach towards collaborating with other artists across dance and musical idioms, contribute to making her choreographic productions unique and memorable.
An accomplished musician…
Endowed with a melodious and expressive voice, Shoba is also a teacher and practitioner of Carnatic music. She has had several years of private music training, as well as a formal music education, and has completed the two year advanced diploma 'Sangita Ratna' from the Music Academy Teachers College of Music. She has scored the music for many of her dance productions, as well as for some of the solo items that are performed by her and her students. A versatile singer, Shoba can sing across a range of genres - Carnatic, Hindustani, Devotional, Choral, Folk, and Film melodies.
A dedicated teacher...
Being an ardent seeker of knowledge herself, Shoba inspires her students not only to excel in their chosen art form, but also guides them to evolve into sensitive and socially responsible human beings. Her teaching techniques, which are gentle yet persuasive, bring out the best in her students and enable them to make rapid progress. Her classes are fun-filled and engaging, at the same time, structured and result-oriented. A firm believer in the Gurukula system of learning, Shoba imparts the traditional Indian values and customs to her students.
Shoba’s Gurus:
Dance:
Kamala Narayan (Kumari Kamala) - Bharatanatyam
Swamimalai Rajaratnam - Bharatanatyam
Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam - Kuchipudi
Ramani Ranjan Jena - Odissi
Savithri Jagannatha Rao (Kalakshetra) - Dance theory
Carnatic Music:
K.V Krishnan
Udupi Gopalakrishnan
Oothukadu Muthukrishnan
Calcutta Krishnamurthy
Tanjavur Sankara Iyer
Prof S.R. Janakiraman
Sangeetha Kalanidhi B. Rajam Iyer
Lalgudi Jayaraman (special compositions)
Kaumudi Ramdas (padams and javalis)
A.R. Sundaram (padams and javalis)
Rajkumar Bharathi (musical nuances)
Patrani Sangeetha Rao (Kuchipudi dance music)
Karaikudi Krishnamurthy (Laya aspects)
Yoga:
Shoba has trained for several years in the Sivananda style of Hatha Yoga. She has participated in intensive workshops and certificate courses at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in Chennai.
Shoba is a multi-talented artist with an extraordinary understanding of the classical art forms of Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, and Carnatic Music. As a dancer, her Nritta is precise and breathtaking, and her Abhinaya is sensitive and evocative - these qualities make her stage performances a singular aesthetic and emotional experience. Her ability to communicate the depth and subtlety of human emotions through mime and movement are a consequence of her exceptional innate talent, coupled with an uncompromising dedication to the pursuit of these classical art forms.
A creative choreographer...
Shoba’s dance choreography combines a deep knowledge of Music and Mythology, an intrinsic flair for Rhythm (Layam), precision with the cymbals (Nattuvangam), and impeccable clarity in the recitation of the ‘Jathis.’ Her innovative techniques add a modern sensibility and sophistication to her choreography, while at the same time strictly adhering to the formal grammar of these traditional art forms. In addition, her open-minded approach towards collaborating with other artists across dance and musical idioms, contribute to making her choreographic productions unique and memorable.
An accomplished musician…
Endowed with a melodious and expressive voice, Shoba is also a teacher and practitioner of Carnatic music. She has had several years of private music training, as well as a formal music education, and has completed the two year advanced diploma 'Sangita Ratna' from the Music Academy Teachers College of Music. She has scored the music for many of her dance productions, as well as for some of the solo items that are performed by her and her students. A versatile singer, Shoba can sing across a range of genres - Carnatic, Hindustani, Devotional, Choral, Folk, and Film melodies.
A dedicated teacher...
Being an ardent seeker of knowledge herself, Shoba inspires her students not only to excel in their chosen art form, but also guides them to evolve into sensitive and socially responsible human beings. Her teaching techniques, which are gentle yet persuasive, bring out the best in her students and enable them to make rapid progress. Her classes are fun-filled and engaging, at the same time, structured and result-oriented. A firm believer in the Gurukula system of learning, Shoba imparts the traditional Indian values and customs to her students.
Shoba’s Gurus:
Dance:
Kamala Narayan (Kumari Kamala) - Bharatanatyam
Swamimalai Rajaratnam - Bharatanatyam
Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam - Kuchipudi
Ramani Ranjan Jena - Odissi
Savithri Jagannatha Rao (Kalakshetra) - Dance theory
Carnatic Music:
K.V Krishnan
Udupi Gopalakrishnan
Oothukadu Muthukrishnan
Calcutta Krishnamurthy
Tanjavur Sankara Iyer
Prof S.R. Janakiraman
Sangeetha Kalanidhi B. Rajam Iyer
Lalgudi Jayaraman (special compositions)
Kaumudi Ramdas (padams and javalis)
A.R. Sundaram (padams and javalis)
Rajkumar Bharathi (musical nuances)
Patrani Sangeetha Rao (Kuchipudi dance music)
Karaikudi Krishnamurthy (Laya aspects)
Yoga:
Shoba has trained for several years in the Sivananda style of Hatha Yoga. She has participated in intensive workshops and certificate courses at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in Chennai.