Manonmani has been studying Bharatanatyam under Smt. Kanchana Venkatasubramanian, Artistic Director of Isha Dance Company, since the age of 5. Outside of dance, Manonmani is also a purple belt in Karate, sings in her school's choir, and participates in a Civil Engineering mentorship program. Manonmani is a currently a sophmore at Los Altos High School, and enjoys reading, hiking, and backpacking with her family in her free time.
Bharatanatyam has always been an integral part of Kanchana's life. At the young age of 5, she was initiated into Bharatanatyam by Sri N. V. Narasimhachari under the auspices of the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society. She then continued training with Shanta Bhaskar of the Nrithyalaya Dance Company. She has performed in many prestigious cultural events in Singapore. Upon arrival in the United States, she pursued the art with Vidhya Subramanian, a leading exponent of Bharatanatyam in the Vazhuvoor style. Kanchana is immensely grateful to have this divine art form in her life and considers it a privilege to be able to share this art with the community in the Bay Area.
Asha Ramesh started at the age of three in Jamshedpur, India. At the age of ten her devotion to learning music was so clear, she was sent to Sangeetha Kalnidi in Chennai (Madras) to train under renowned masters, Dr. S. Ramanathan and D.K. Jayaraman. Later, she was awarded a government scholarship to receive advanced training under Gana Sudhakara Nanganallur V. Ramanathan. Asha also earned the Bachelor and Master’s degrees in music from Madras University. Besides her mastery of Carnatic music and fluency in several South Indian languages, Asha has learned to sing Hindustani music. Having chosen the United States as my home, I consider it my duty and honor to be the ‘musical link’ to the next generation, she says. This art form is my life! It gives me an immense sense of joy and pride to be able to spread this divine art to the rich diverse cultural community in the Bay Area.
Sri. N. Narayanan had his mridangam training under his father late Sri P. V. Natarajan and late Sri. P. S. Parameshwaran of Mumbai. He has accompanied for many of the leading dance companies in the Bay Area for the past 25 years. A much sought after accompanist, the accents he employs to enhance a production have won him many fans.
Smt. Shanti Narayanan hails from Calcutta and had her training in violin under Late Sri. A. Anantharama Bhagavatar and Late Smt. Champakavalli. She has been a most sought after artist, having accompanied for many of the leading dance companies since 1990. Her melodious violin is a delight for any dancer to perform with. She has been an integral part of the orchestra enhancing its quality.
In 2011, Guru Kanchana started Isha Dance Company to give back to the community what she has gained from learning Bharatanatyam. Students learning this ancient divine art form acquire insight into the rich Hindu culture which many not be prevalent in countries outside India. Bharatanatyam introduces them to the Guru Parampara tradition and is steeped in devotion to the Lord. It instills discipline of body and mind, and nurtures poise and confidence. It relieves stress from daily life and develops personal growth within the diligent pursuer. At the highest level, Bharatanatyam gives spiritual fulfillment to both dancer and audience.
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