Lavanya Raghuraman is a leading disciple of the esteemed Dhananjayans and granddaughter of Sangita Kalanidhi Dr S Ramanathan. A gifted individual with multi-faceted talents, she is an accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer, Carnatic music vocalist and violinist rolled into one. Her exquisite nritta & bhava-laden performing style is built on a firm foundation in laya, an innate musical sense and uncompromising classicism- a family legacy! A critic writing for The Hindu describes Lavanya as “a graceful and competent dancer with clear footwork”.
She is the recipient of the title of “Natya Chudar” from Kartik Fine Arts, Chennai, as well as “Natya Visharad” from SIFAS, Singapore. Following the formal Arangetram, Lavanya’s solo performances had their beginnings at The Natyanjali Festival, Chidambaram and she has performed regularly at the Chennai Music and Dance Festival for over a decade.
Lavanya’s performances at prestigious cultural venues and festivals in Singapore, Malaysia, India, Australia and USA have received wide acclaim and laudable reviews in The Hindu. As a choreographer, her thematic productions on unique themes such as “Nagareshu Kaanchi”, “Alchemy of Opposites” and “Neythal” at Esplanade, Singapore’s landmark cultural theatre have been internationally acclaimed and presented to sold-out audiences. Her recent production, “Retracing the Path ~ MARGAM” was staged in March,2015 with resounding success at UCC Theatre, National University of Singapore, Kalakshetra, Chennai and also at Guruvayoor & Bangalore.
Through lecture demonstrations, master classes, workshops and seminars at many dance schools & institutes of higher education including the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore, Lavanya shares her thoughts on Bharatanatyam and its propagation in its purest form.
She is a graduate of The Fuqua School of Business, Duke University and is currently based in Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA with her husband, Dr Balaji Jayaraman.
