Kalaanantarupahdanceschool,RT Nagar,Bangalore

She is a dancer with a passion for theatre. Brought up in Chennai. RevathiThiyagarajaKumar learnt Bharatanatya. She started dancing at the age of 12 and is trained by Dr. Ambika Kameshawar. She has also worked with several theatre groups in Chennai.

Revathi was also actively involved in working with special children with her dance teacher. “What she does is so good. I soon plan to start something similar here in Bangalore.” Revathi came here eight years ago. “It was marriage that brought me here. Initially I started working as a HR in a MNC company. But somehow my heart was just not in it. So I quit the job and started my dance school – KalaAnantarupahDance School.”

Located in R.T. Nagar she trains children from age four years and above. “Starting to dance again after marriage was not easy,” recalls this dancer. “But I feel good now that I have gone back to it. Bangalore is not new to me. I have frequented this city as a dancer for many performances.”

Revathi teaches Bharatanatya, folk and creative dance and contemporary dance. “The last is more semi classical and all the movements are rooted in our Indian dance forms,” explains this 25-year-old dancer who believes in a “holistic approach to dance and theatre. Dance helps an actor move gracefully, while theatre helps a dancer improve on the expressions.”

And Revathi encourages her students to excel in theatre and dance. She also trains aspiring actors in her school. “Right now the new actor Ruhi is being trained by me,” she says. “Being good in theatre and dance is a rare combination. I encourage my students to take to both,” she adds.

In theatre, she does not focus only on the acting, she also teaches voice modulations, breath control and mime.

To motivate her students Revathi says that she conducts a monthly exam and chooses one student as the star of the year. Revathi also works with people from corporate companies by choreographing dances for them and directing plays. “I am passionate about street plays. It is a challenge for me to create something right from the script, costume and make up.”

Revathi works with a limited number of students for “I can give complete attention to each one of them”. She can be contacted on 9886065752.