Mission Statement

     The mission of Rudram Dance Company is to bring the extraordinary, creative form of Bharatnatyam to the stage through original and high-quality productions, making it easy for the audience to experience the grandeur of Indian classical dance and understand the beauty of tradition and history attached to it. 
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     Bringing the finest, nuanced qualities to Bharatnatyam, Rudram Dance Company carries on the legacy of this classical Indian dance style and aims to present a diverse range of audiences with enjoyable, artistic dance performances that enrich and entertain. We offer year-round classes for ages 7 and up, special workshops and intensives for experienced dancers, educational outreach programs through local schools and libraries, and collaborations with other nonprofit organizations in the Tampa Bay community and throughout the country

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About Tara Priyadarshini Bikkasani

Tara Bikkasani's Solo Performance

             Tara Priyadarshini Bikkasani is a professional Bharatanatyam dancer. She mastered her intricacies of Bharatanatyam under the tutelage of Nrithya Choodamani Smt. Krishnaveni Lakshnam of Kalakshetra ,Prof. M. R. Krishnamurthy Smt. Uma Sundaram, and Smt. Uma Rao of Kalakshetra, Chennai, India. Tara also had the privilege of learning Abhinayam from Padma Shri. Dr. Nataraja Ramakrishna and Smt. Saride Manikyamma who is a legendary exponent of “Temple Dance form” from Hyderabad, India.
​             Tara has garnered the attention of media and connoisseurs of the arts by virtue of several hundreds of performances in India and abroad. The schedule she keeps is a testimony of her outstanding calibre and total commitment to her chosen field. Tara has choreographed Ramayana, Krishnam Vande Jagat Guru, Dhasavatharam, Draupadi, and recently Nrithya-Milana, an amalgamation of various Indian classical forms together.  She has remarkable appearances at important national and international Dance Festivals.
            Tara taught at the University of Florida in Gainesville for a few semesters, and has been invited to conduct workshops, lectures, demonstrations, and performances at several universities including Purdue, South Bend, Indianapolis, and other Midwest schools.  Tara runs Rudram Dance Company, which is a premier dance school where she teaches and trains students for performances. To her credit, several of her students had their Arangetram and continue to dance at the Rudram Company.

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Visiting Instructors

Rajesh Chenthy Bharatanatyam Kalakshetra Alumni Laval, QC, Canada.
Rajesh Chenthy holds a postgraduate Diploma from Kalakshetra , School of Fine Arts , Chennai , India 
He is a professional Dancers , Choreographer and a teacher known for his total commitment .

Shaly Vijayan
 Senior professor at Kalakshetra School of Fine Arts
Mrs. Shaly Vijayan is a professional dancer, senior teacher, and guru who regularly conducts workshops, and lecture demonstrations to students of RDC and many others in Tampa. She is also a concert session head at Kalakshetra, located in Chennai, India. Kalakshetra is a premier arts institution well known not only in India but throughout the world .

Viraja and Shyamjith Kiran
Alumnai of Kalakshetra School of Fine Arts
Viraja Mandhre & Shyamjith Kiran are Indian classical dancers trained in the form of bharatanatyam. Previously a part of the Kalakshetra Repertory company, they are currently exploring their paths through independent pursuits.

Both Viraja and Shyam have had the good fortune of training under and working with eminent gurus like Smt. Leela Samson, the Dhananjayans, Professor C. V. Chandrashekhar and Sadanam Balakrishnan (Kathakali), who have been an immense source of inspiration in our art form. Involvement with these gurus, Kalakshetra and our independent pursuits has enabled them to perform at various prestigious venues world over. They believe their training in Yoga and Kalaripayattu has been an important factor in their understanding of not just the physicality of the human form but also the intellect.