Srilaya Dance Academy

Bharatanatyam is one of the most prominent and popular classical dance forms originated in Tamilnadu, India. It's foundations can be traced back to ancient work of Natya Shastra by Bharata Muni. This devotional song of dance which originated thousands of years ago was used mainly to express Bhakthi (Devotion) and Spiritual Themes in both Saiva and Vaishnava Sampradayas. The performance repertoire include Pure Dance, Solo Expressive and Group Dramatic Dances namely Nrita, Nritya and Natya respectively. It follows well-established rules and sequences - Alarippu, Jatiswaram, Shabdam, Varnam, Padam, Thillana. When the artist performs a song the expressions (Abinaya), hand gestures (Hastas), neck movements (Bedas) etc will unite the performer with the divine. It is truly an out of the world experience!

Pandanallur Style

Pandanallur Style Bharatanatyam is strengthened and nourished by various styles - Pandanallur, Kalakshetra, Melattur, Tanjore, Vazhuvoor to name a few. Preethi Sathyanarayanan was trained in Pandanallure style. She also had collaboration with Melattur and Kalakshetra styles. Pandanallur style was mainly attributed to Shri. Meenakshisundaram Pillai (1869-1964), a dance guru who lived in the village of Pandanallur, in the Thanjavur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Pandanallur style gives a lot of emphasis on Abhinaya. Stomping or strong tapping on floor is discouraged in this style. Instead, the focus is on expressive movements which makes the Salangai render melodious music and rhythm.

About Us

Smt. Preethi Sathyanarayanan started learning the divine art of Bharatanatyam at a tender age of 4 in Chennai, India. She learnt the art form under the tutelage of her Guru Shri. Namakkal Rajaram. She trained rigorously for more than 20 years under the expressive Pandanallur Style which is prevalent in Tanjore District of Tamilnadu, India. She performed at various events and earned many accolades in India and USA. On the personal front, Preethi holds a master's degree in Biotechnology. Currently she is pursuing Master's in Dance. Preethi started performing at various events during her School and College Days including the events presided by the many celebrities. With her experience, she started teaching the next generation with 2 goals in Mind. Establish a bridge between the ancient art-form and the future generation Inculcate cultural values, discipline and instill interest in this wonderful classical art form To enrich and continuously improve her knowledge, She participated in many Workshops and Discussions at Many Prominent Dance Schools like Kalakshetra etc. Preethi established Srilaya Dance Academy in DFW area, Texas, USA inculcating the knowledge of Bharatanatyam to future generations. Srilaya Dance Academy is proud member of The International Dance Council of UNESCO. Preethi and her students had earned numerous awards and recognitions all over the world - Guinness World Record Certificate (Thrice), Asia Book of Records, India Book of Records (Twice), International Book of Records, Indian Raga Monthly Competitions, AIDA (All India Dancers Association) OJAS Competitions, Sanskriti Sangamam to name a few.