Guru Smt. Arundhati Singha John
An artist of diverse talents, a graduate of Kalakshetra, skilled in Bharatanatyam, accomplished in choreography, versatile in acting, and a dedicated mentor, showcasing boundless artistry.
About Our Guru
Meet Our Visionary Artistic Director: Guiding the Rhythm, Grace, and Creativity That Define Our Dance School's Legacy
Arundhati S. John, a natural-born artist, began her dancing career at a very young age of four and continued to pursue her passion for dance throughout her school days. After completing her education at Besant Arundale (Chennai), she joined the prestigious Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts (Kalakshetra), where she focused primarily on Bharatanatyam. During her schooling, she performed at several prestigious dance festivals across India, including the Rukmini Devi Centenary Celebrations. Along with mastering the various aspects of Bharatanatyam, Arundhati also learned to create and design the intricate costumes associated with the art form.
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Later, she joined the Darpana Performing Group under the guidance of Smt. Mallika Sarabhai and Smt. Mrinalini Sarabhai to continue her Bharatanatyam career and to learn other forms of Indian dance. Arundhati expanded her dance talents to include contemporary Indian dance and Kalaripayattu (Kerala martial arts), and her performances have taken her across the globe, where she has received acclaim for her artistry.
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Arundhati's reputation and unique experience in Bharatanatyam have resulted in invitations to perform at prestigious events such as the Sangeet Natak Academy invitational performance for nationally recognized young artists and the 45th annual Kal Ke Kalakar music festival, hosted by the Mumbai-based cultural organization, Sur Singar Samsad. Arundhati has distinguished herself as an excellent artist in classical and contemporary dance, teaching, and choreographing, and as a trained actor from the famous Roshan Taneja School of Acting. She has acted in several theatre plays, TV serials, reality shows, and prominent regional movies.
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Currently, Arundhati is the Director at Nritta Dhyana - The Academy for Performing Arts in Kuwait, where she devotes her time and experience to teaching the art of Bharatanatyam to the younger generation. In Kuwait, she pioneered the establishment of a ladies' wing in teaching Bharatanatyam courses, marking her as the trailblazer in these initiatives. Arundhati has orchestrated numerous arangetrams for her students in both Chennai and Kuwait and has appeared on talk shows in both India and Kuwait, whether on social media platforms or radio stations in Kuwait.
Accolades
Accolades and Achievements: Celebrating the Exceptional Recognition, Honors and Milestones Earned by Our Guru over the years.
2004
Selected to perform in ‘Colours of the Heart’, a women’s advocacy performance sponsored by Taj Group and Jet Airways.
2004
Awarded by the Government of India, Ministry of Culture scholarship to pursue higher studies in Bharatanatyam.
2005
Performed in the United States of America - Texas, New York, New Jersey, Washington and Houston.
2006
Selected to tour with Alvin ale Group. Performed in Italy, England, Scotland.
2007
Lead dancer / main performer in over 20 productions that toured in India and internationally. Including in productions of Phedre, Unsuni, The Pearl, Don Juan, etc
2007
Instrumental in revising and updating the Bharatanatyam teaching syllabus for Darpana Academy in Gujarat, India.
2008
Performed in Stockholm, Brussels, Germany, Madrid, Poland and Greece.
2008
Was on the team headed by an international arts management & administrative professional that worked on improving protocol and developing SOPs for Darpana’s visiting artists, guests, and staff.
2008
Performed a full Bharatanatyam Solo at Darpana’s amphitheatre Natarani.
2009
Completed an acting course at the Roshan Taneja School of Acting, Mumbai. India
2009
Participated as a contestant for the MTV Fast and Furious reality show.
2009
Worked with a variety of international visiting artists in India from countries like USA, Australia, South America and Africa.
2010
Acted in TV serials for Star TV and 9X Channel.
2010
Acted in a Malayalam feature film - Chitrasutram as well as an Assamese Regional film.
2010
Selected from a National application pool to perform for recognition and monetary award in “KalKeKalakar, Sangeet Sammelan.” Bombay.
2011
Selected and performed in annual Sangeet Natak Academy invitational performance for nationally recognized young artists, Delhi, India.
Introducing KALBHA
Kalbha is a fresh approach to explore both the art forms and carry forth their principle teachings in a way that captures the interest of today’s youth, and yet retain the arts’ inherent principles while uphold their roots.
The brainchild of Guru Smt Arundhati Singha John, Kalbha is a fine art that combines the technicalities of two Indian classical arts – Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance form originating from the state of Tamil Nadu, and Kalaripayattu, often considered the oldest martial art in the world hailing from the state of Kerala.
The word ‘Kalbha’ is a portmanteau created by Guru Arundhati by joining the first syllables of two words – Kalaripayattu and Bharatanatyam. The concept of Kalbha was born from Guru Arundhati’s own practice and teaching of Bharatanatyam and Kalaripayattu. As an exponent of Bharatanatyam and an expert in Kalaripayattu, Guru Arundhati harmoniously blended the best of both worlds to create a movement-based performing art that represents the finest qualities characteristic of their two sources.
“Kalbha brings together two distinctive and strong arts”, says Guru Arundhati. “It gives one the opportunity to learn both arts under the same belt replete with theory, practical, technique and philosophy.”
Having developed the pedagogy and teaching methodology for Kalbha which includes a syllabus spanning beginner, intermediate and advanced level of practice, Guru Arundhati envisions establishing Kalbha as an official Indian art recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. “Kalbha will be patented and accorded the same status, respect and high standards of learning as we give Bharatanatyam or Kalaripayattu”, she adds. “In fact, Kalbha is an ideal education for any aspiring Indian contemporary dancer, because it seamlessly synthesizes the foundations of Indian dance and martial art – making it the basis of authentic Indian contemporary dance - which until now, has been heavily influenced by Western performing arts. Why look elsewhere when we have our own rich cultural heritage and classical art traditions to draw inspiration from?”
Video Archive
Witness a visual journey of remarkable accomplishments and unforgettable moments in our Guru's extraordinary life.
The Nritta Dhyana Academy
A distinguished institution preserving the heritage of Indian classical dance, nurturing talents with passion, precision, and cultural reverence.
Established in 1987 by Smt. Sujatha Rajendran, Nritta Dhyana is one of the oldest and premier institutions teaching Bharatanatyam in Kuwait. Nritta Dhyana is an institution committed to educating students in the field of Indian classical dance. This revered organization helps foster the artistic, intellectual and personal growth of its students through quality teaching, while allowing students to experience and appreciate the beauty of Indian art and culture. Over the last 36 years, Nritta Dhyana has achieved remarkable growth and gained recognition for its work towards enhancing the practice, understanding and appreciation of Indian classical dance.
Students continuing their education in dance are taught nattuvangam, dance theory, abhinaya/expression classes as part of their syllabus and the opportunity to learn via special workshops. Many graduates from our school go on further to become dance teachers, performers and even have their own schools.
​Ever since its inception, the institute has been a ground for aspiring young artists who have enthralled audiences around the world. The classical training at Nritta Dhyana under the tutelage of Smt. Arundhati John follows the Kalakshetra style of Bharatanatyam which has helped the students embark on successful careers and gain recognition in this field. Students from the age of 3 to 60 continue to learn dance at Nritta Dhyana. Our school conducts yearly examinations for all students as well. In addition, we conduct arangetrams for all graduating students.
Nritta Dhyana has further launched live online lessons by Smt. Arundhati S. John. This year apart from our Bengaluru branch opening, we are opening 2 new branches in Mangaf and Abbasiya.
Screen Work
A seasoned artist, blending roles as a Bharatanatyam dancer, skilled choreographer, compelling actor, and nurturing guru, showcasing her brilliance onscreen.
Perspective through the lens
