Chidambaram Arts

 Mrs.Sangeetha Shyam

Mrs.Sangeetha Shyam, who hails from a family of art lovers, began her training in the rigors of Indian Classical Dance at a tender age of two. She began with her training in the Kuchipudi Dance style, and won the Indian National Contest for Classical dance at the age of four. She began her lessons in Bharathantayam with “Kalaimamani” Smt. Indira Rajan, niece of K.N. Dandayuthapani Pillai, and trained by K.Ganesan, a direct descendant of the Tanjore Quartet.  She later embraced the Vazhuvoor tradition, drawn by its grace and creative choreography. She is a disciple of renowned “Padmasri” Smt. Chitra Visweswaran, and her senior disciple, Guru Smt. Priyadarshini Ramchand.  Dance notation, documentation and pedagogy are her key interests. Sangeetha is also trained in Carnatic Vocal and Instrumental (veena) Music.  She is a disciple of Mrs. Susheela Sridhar ( a disciple of renowned vocalist and Guru Dr. D.K. Jayaraman). She was fortunate enough to also be trained by Mrs. R.Rajalakshmi, mother of Pt.R. Visweswaran while at Chidambaram Academy of Performing Arts. Mrs. R.Rajalakshmi is the sister of the legendary  Carnatic Musician, (late)Shri G.N.B.

Academically she holds a Master’s Research Degree in Food and Nutrition, from the University of Madras, India. She is the recipient of the Mc Eleanor Mason Nutrition Prize and the Weikfield Food Science Trophy. It was a rare phenomenon of one student being conferred the First Rank in all core subjects at the Master’s level, like Statistics, Physiology, Biochemistry, Community Nutrition and Communications etc., at the Women’s Christian College, University of Madras.

Apart form Classical Arts; Sangeetha’s interests include, volunteering, multimedia and web designing. She received the Outstanding Contributor Award in September 2004 for her online volunteering to a health database in Africa, under the UN Online Volunteering Scheme. A Member of the International Dance Council CID, under the auspices of UNESCO, Sangeetha attempts in her small way to share her passion for the Divine Art with others. “Chidambaram” is her pet project. Chidambaram Arts is not an academy, but a second home for the parents and students alike.