BHARATANATYAM ARANGETRAM
ABOUT THE GURUS
GURU SMT. PADMAJA KELAM
A consummate artiste, a dancer par excellence, an acclaimed nattuvanar, a choreographer non-pareil and a gifted teacher are just few of the accolades that aptly describe Smt. Padmaja Kelam, the Director of Kalaivani Dance and Music Academy.
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Guru Padmaja takes each and every student through an individualized “Margam” of sorts as she instills in them, through a blend of love and nurturance, an understanding of the exalted art form in its breathtaking glory, while imbuing a lifelong commitment to a spiritual journey that cannot be otherwise replicated.
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Her brilliant ability to juxtapose tradition and innovation is seen in every riveting masterpiece that she creates with loving and effortless detail with delicate nuances, bringing a whole new meaning to the phrase “Poetry in motion”.
Padmaja’s belief in every child being able to reach individualized pinnacles of perfection is embodied in her demand for perfection in execution of mudras, adavus, bhedas and karanas while striving to build and hone endurance to perform flawlessly with utmost dedication and devotion. Her passion for perfection is reflected in her unique choreography as she weaves magic into the tapestry of every dance item that she brings to life through the remarkable renditions of her students.
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Under her tutelage, several students have been able to experience the beauty and divinity of their Arangetrams. She has over 65 Arangetrams to her credit and they only serve to project the many more that are yet to come.
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Guru Padmaja is indeed one of Atlanta’s artistic gems bestowing sheer joy and sublime delight in her students as they walk the paths of their dance “margams” with seamless eloquence and precision.
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And she ensures they enjoy and have fun every step of the way!
GURU SRI. SIDDARTH KELAM
Guru Siddarth Kelam comes from a background of dance and music. He has been trained in Bharatanatyam from his father Sudershan Kelam first and then continued his training under his mother Padmaja Kelam. He has also been trained in Carnatic Vocals by Guru Savitha Namuduri and Guru Srinath Kalavichirathil. Lastly, he has trained in mridangam under Guru Subramaniam Vishwanathan, Guru Bharadan, and Guru Santosh Chandru.
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Being immersed in dance and music his whole life Siddarth decided to take his passion for music, one step further and enrolled into SAE Atlanta. He graduated with a diploma in Audio engineering along with a distinction as salutatorian of his class. He currently works as a Co – Director at Kalaivani Dance and Music academy and is also a music producer and Audio engineer.