Fundamentals - Level 1

Growing up in India, Lavanya was initially introduced to Kuchipudi in school when she was only 9. She was instantly taken with the art form, and continued her training through summer workshops in Visakhapatnam with Smt. Bala Kondala Rao, one of Master Vempati Chinna Satyam’s foremost students.

After a hiatus, during which she had two lovely children, Lavanya found her artistic home at Kalanidhi. She joined the organization as a student in 2005, and connected deeply with Kalanidhi’s style and training under the guidance of her guru, Smt. Anuradha Nehru. She also trained with guru Sri Jai Kishore Mosalikanti during Kalanidhi’s summer camp sessions.

As she immersed herself in the study of the art form, Lavanya began to take on an increasing leadership role at Kalanidhi, first as a member of the performing Dance Company in 2007, and then as a teacher in 2008, and and rose to become the Education Director of Kalanidhi’s dance school in 2013. As a company dancer, Lavanya toured with Kalanidhi throughout the United States and India.

A beloved teacher, she has touched the lives of hundreds of students and hopes to continue to share her passion for Kuchipudi with children throughout the region and inspire the next generation of dancers through her tireless energy for dance.

Pragnya Thamire began her dance training at the age five under Anuradha Nehru of Kalanidhi Dance. Passionate about Indian dance, Pragnya has matured way beyond her years into a confident and vibrant classical Indian dancer. She made her debut as a member of the Kalanidhi Dance Company at the age of 12, performed her Rangapravesham in 2016 at the age of 15, and has performed widely at a number of prestigious venues and festivals including the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Library of Congress, Wolf Trap and Drive East Festival in New York City to name a few.

She had a penchant for choreography, and so was given the opportunity to choreograph on Kalanidhi students at a very young age. She choreographed her first original Kuchipudi dance, Sakala in 2020 when Kalanidhi partnered with IndianRaga.

Her dance inspirations are her guru Smt. Anuradha Nehru, Sri Jaikishore Mosalikanti, Bijayini Satpathy, and Alvin Ailey.

She is deeply committed to Kuchipudi and belongs to the next generation of must-watch emerging Kuchipudi artists.  Pragnya joined Kalanidhi staff in January 2022 as a marketing manager. In addition to managing Kalanidhi’s social media platforms, her responsibilities also include teaching and outreach.

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