Natya Leela Academy was born out of a passion to teach and dance Bharathanatyam. The intention of our dance school is to teach, train, and inspire young children, youth, and adults to discover grace and empowerment through movement. The steps, hand gestures, and facial expressions all lend to training our bodies and minds to express ourselves with freedom that is infused with integrity.

"Natya" means dance and "leela" is a Sanskrit word and concept that can be described as "spontaneous creation; divine play that leads to creation; and magic." Our hope is that students who discover this ancient dance form will also re-discover their inner playfulness and express this creative force through their bodies. When we identify and re-connect with our creative playfulness on the dance floor, we can then take that same power-filled, shining energy into our every-day lives -- leading us to live completely in joy and compassion.

The founder and principal teacher of Natya Leela Academy is Subashini Ganesan. She has studied the classical Indian dance style, Bharathanatyam, under Sreemathi Shantha Bhaskar, principal choreographer of Nrityalaya Aesthetic Society of Singapore. Subashini's experience in the study and performance of this art form extends over a period of 25 years. She has performed in national and international events in Singapore, Washington DC, Rochester, NY, Eugene, Oregon, Sacramento, CA, and Maui, HI. For the last 10 years she has been teaching students of all ages in Singapore and in the US. Her background and interests in the world traditional and sacred arts lend a unique ability to her teaching methods, that help students to discover the dancer within, while executing the movements and routines of this ancient style.