Kala Vandanam is pleased to bring its exciting, holistic, intensive learning experience back to Bharatanatyam students and teachers for the 4th time! Join us for Natya Gurukulam 2024, a weeklong residential camp to explore Bharatanatyam and allied arts to enrich your understanding and develop new skills alongside others, to take their personal artistic journey forward.
Natya Gurukulam 2024 gives attendees the rare opportunity to completely immerse themselves in the arts without the distractions of everyday life. This…
🌟 Is a transformative experience for the mind, body and soul
🌟 Allows attendees to be inspired by the world around them
🌟 Requires attendees to focus completely to learn in an intensive manner
Want to get a feel for the experience? Take a Look Inside Natya Gurukulam 2024, or watch Natya Gurukulam 2018 – Documentary from the inaugural camp, and hear from the camp attendees and master instructors.
PAY REGISTRATION DEPOSIT – FEE INCLUDES TUITION, ROOM & BOARD – After payment, you will receive a registration form link for the registration details from Kala Vandanam.
EXPERIENCES INCLUDE:
- Theory
- Nattuvangam
- Repertory class
- Yoga & body conditioning
- Adavu class – Bharatanatyam technique
- Group discussions, film viewings and peer collaboration
- Closing day informal showcase by attendees and master instructors
WHEN? July 21-27, 2024
WHERE? Natya Gurukulam 2024 will be conducted at the beautiful Dunrovin Christian Brothers Retreat Center situated in the wooded, rolling hills near the St. Croix river in Marine on St. Croix, MN, just north of Stillwater, MN. Attendees will have single rooms in the lodge with shared shower facilites, delicious vegetarian meals, and access to a beautiful natural setting including a large pond, wooded trails teeming with wildlife, and the St. Croix river.
WHY? Rather than use our words, here are words from a 3-time camp attendee.
“Under the expert guidance of a remarkable team of instructors at Natya Gurukulam, my intensive immersion into the world of Bharatanatyam has been an unforgettable experience of growth, connection, and artistic expression. (They) created an environment that fosters holistic growth, creativity, and a profound connection with Bharatanatyam. Their expertise, dedication, and passion have transformed my journey into an exploration of culture, tradition, music, movement, and self-discovery.
Their collective contributions have shaped me into a more confident, expressive, and culturally aware dancer. If you are seeking an immersive learning experience that extends beyond dance movements and delves into the heart and soul of Bharatanatyam, I wholeheartedly recommend Kala Vandanam’s Natya Gurukulam.”
PAY REGISTRATION DEPOSIT – FEE INCLUDES TUITION, ROOM & BOARD – After payment, you will receive a registration form link for the registration details from Kala Vandanam.
Natya Gurukulam 2024 is led by:
 SUCHITRA SAIRAM (Curator and Instructor) is a highly committed Bharatanatyam artist over 35 years in the field. She received formative training from Smt. Padmini Chari, founder of Nritya School of Bharatanatyam in Houston, TX, and pursued advanced training under the internationally acclaimed couple The Dhananjayans, and the renowned couple Sri M.V. Narasimhachari (late) and Smt. M. Vasanthalakshmi. These artists are important inspirations to her as an artist, teacher, and presenter. Suchitra’s work is noted for its adherence to her gurus’ exacting standards, creativity and depth. She is also a skilled nattuvangam artist, and continues her study of rhythm related arts with Sri Somashekar Jois (konnakkol) and Sri Sheejith Krishna (nattuvangam).
Suchitra founded Kala Vandanam in 2002, to share the beauty of Bharatanatyam and allied arts through education, performance, outreach, and presentation. Through Kala Vandanam, she teaches a group of committed students, and is an active arts presenter in the Twin Cities. In addition to a wide range of original traditional repertoire choreographies, Suchitra’s original productions have been received with appreciation by audiences. She is a recipient of a Knight Arts Challenge grant, a Next Step grant from the McKnight Foundation, and several grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board to support her creative and teaching work. Suchitra is a Teaching Artist for the Cowles Center for Performing Arts in Minneapolis and is a member of the Cowles Council. She has served as a panelist for the prestigious McKnight Fellowship for Dancers and is a past board member of the St. Paul Area Chamber Foundation. Suchitra is the author of the award-winning children’s book, Dancing Deepa. Suchitra holds a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from MIT, and an MBA from the University of Texas-Dallas. | Bharatanatyam, nattuvangam and theory |
SHEEJITH KRISHNA (Master Teacher) studied, then taught, at Kalakshetra Foundation, the world-renowned institution for the classical arts in Chennai, India, for 21 years (1989-2010). He has learnt Bharatanatyam, percussion, and vocal music from such stalwarts as Sarada Hoffman, Vikku Vinayakaram, and S Rajaram. A captivating performer as a soloist and in lead roles in Kalakshetra Repertory productions, he is the winner of the Sangeet Natak Akademi’s prestigious Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar (2007), Sri Krishna Gana Sabha’s Yagnaraman Award for Excellence in Dance (2010), and the Ram Gopal Award for Best Male Dancer (AttenDANCE, 2015). As an independent artist, he has taught workshops and courses for prestigious organizations and choreographed solo and group productions for eminent artists around the world. A dynamic nattuvanar, Sheejith has accompanied many of India’s leading Bharatanatyam artists. In 2011, he choreographed the dance sequences for Ang Lee’s Academy award-winning motion picture, Life of Pi. His numerous full-length thematic works have been presented globally and are widely hailed as ground breaking. Sheejith is a co-founder and director of the Sahrdaya Foundation in Chennai, India. | Bharatanatyam, nattuvangam, and theory |
JYOTHISHMATHI SHEEJITH (Master Teacher), an accomplished Carnatic music vocalist and composer, received her undergraduate and postgraduate diplomas from the prestigious Kalakshetra Foundation in Chennai, India. She has been the lead vocalist for many classic Kalakshetra Repertory productions. As an independent artist, she has toured internationally with many illustrious Bharatanatyam artists, including C.V. Chandrasekhar, The Dhananjayans, Leela Samson and Malavika Sarukkai. A graded artist of All India Radio, she has conducted workshops and served as faculty in teaching residencies in India, the United States, Canada, and several countries in Europe and Africa. Jyothishmathi is a co-founder and core member of the Sahrdaya Foundation in Chennai, India. She is also an accomplished composer, including full-length original productions for Sahrdaya Foundation, including Krishna Bharatam, Parinaamam, Pravaha, Yathadarshe Tathaatmani, Don Quixote, Ram Katha, and Kala Vandanam (Ritu-The Seasons). | Carnatic music |
 VAISHALEE PATEL (Master Teacher) has been practicing yoga and meditation for 25 years. She found her home when she discovered classical Himalayan philosophy and yoga, and has been studying and teaching its holistic and integrative approach of breath, body, and mind for the last 15 years. Vaishalee completed yoga and meditation 1500-hour teacher training at the Institute of the Himalayan Tradition in St. Paul in 2007 at the beginning, intermediate and advanced levels, and is registered with Yoga Alliance. She has a passion for teaching all levels of students and strives to understand each student individually.Vaishalee’s professional experience spans the consulting, healthcare, financial services and education industries. Her technical expertise is in technology management, change management, customer service, outsourcing and program management.
Throughout her 20 years of corporate experience, she has learned a great deal about how people view and treat their bodies, observing that the understanding of the causal connection between body and mind is often neglected. Over the years, Vaishalee has delivered numerous workshops in the workplace to help her teams bring focus to this connection, enabling them to increase productivity, creativity and retention. In concert with this passion, Vaishalee helps individuals find balance in their own lives through her company, SOM Yoga. Vaishalee is an extensively trained classical Indian Bharata Natyam dancer. She has been dancing for over 20 years and is an active dance performer at Kala Vandanam in St. Paul. This dance form is a perfect complement to yoga and breathing; it focuses on body awareness, alignment, and movement. Vaishalee has been the yoga instructor at the annual Kala Vandanam Natya Gurukulam residential camp since its inception. | Yoga |
REGISTRATION, ELIGIBILITY and WHAT TO EXPECT
ATTENDANCE – The full day camp is standard. However, working professionals may require a part day option, and will be evaluated on a case by case basis – please email info@kalavandanam.com for more information.
ELIGIBILITY – Natya Gurukulam 2024 is open to teachers and students age 12 and up (age 12 as of July 20, 2024). For students it’s suggested that students have learned all adavus and repertoire through Jathiswaram. Each attendee will have the opportunity to work with each of the master instructors. The master instructors will determine group assignments for each attendee (not self-selection), based on a pre-camp video submission.
Each attendee will have an opportunity to work with each of the master instructors. The master instructors will determine group assignments for each attendee (not self-selection) based on a pre-camp evaluation. Please contact Kala Vandanam with questions about eligibility.
SHOWCASE – The camp will conclude an informal showcase, featuring the attendees performing repertory they have learned during the week and, time permitting, performances by the master instructors.
FULL CAMP ATTENDEES age 18 and under – To facilitate the immersive experience, past camp attendees may not make/send or receive calls or messages, or visit home during the camp, except in the case of emergency. First time attendees will be permitted to call home once during the week. During the camp, contact between parents and the camp administrators will be in the event of emergency only.
LIMITED ENROLLMENT. ATTENDANCE IS REQUIRED FOR THE ENTIRE CAMP.
PAY REGISTRATION DEPOSIT – FEE INCLUDES TUITION, ROOM & BOARD – After payment, you will receive a registration form link for the registration details from Kala Vandanam.
TUITION, ROOM & BOARD (FULL CAMP)
EARLY REGISTRATION (valid through 3/15/2024) – $1350DEADLINE PASSED- REGULAR REGISTRATION (valid 3/16 – 5/31/2024) – $1450
- LATE REGISTRATION (valid 6/1 – 7/4/2024) – $1600
- PAST ATTENDEES – $50 discount per person
FEES for PART-DAY OPTION for WORKING PROFESSIONALS who require ~½ day of work time per day – Please email info@kalavandanam.com for more information
PAYMENTS
- 50% NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT due at the time of registration
- 50% FINAL INSTALLMENT due 6/21/2024 (electronic invoice via email)
- PAYMENTS are NON-REFUNDABLE except if camp is canceled or postponed due to unexpected circumstances.
- If camp is canceled or postponed, deposit payments will be returned
- If attendee cancels 60 days in advance (by 5/21/2024), 50% non-refundable deposit will be applied to a future camp, minus $250 admin fee.
- NO REFUNDS if attendee cancels after 5/21/2024
REGISTRATION CLOSES when all spots are filled, or 07/4/2023 – whichever comes first
Includes music fee of $25 for professionally recorded music
PAY REGISTRATION DEPOSIT – FEE INCLUDES TUITION, ROOM & BOARD – After payment, you will receive a registration form link for the registration details from Kala Vandanam.
SAMPLE DAILY SCHEDULE (Full Day Attendees)
Morning
7am Yoga
Breakfast
Adavu class and body conditioning
Theory class
Afternoon
Lunch and free time
Yoga
Music class
Repertory class
Nattuvangam class
Evening
Dinner
Nature walks, skill sessions, group discussions, film viewings, 1×1 with master instructors or free time
10pm Room check
10:30pm – LIGHTS OUT
Scheduling subject to change.
Schedule for PART-DAY OPTION for WORKING PROFESSIONALS – Please email info@kalavandanam.com for more information
PAY REGISTRATION DEPOSIT – FEE INCLUDES TUITION, ROOM & BOARD – After payment, you will receive a registration form link for the registration details from Kala Vandanam.
