Natyacharya Sujatha Venkatesh
Profile
Natyacharya Sujatha Venkatesh, Founder and Artistic Director of Omkara School of Indian Dance, is not new to the dance scene in Geneva, Switzerland, which has been her work theatre for the last four decades. Trained under eminent Gurus Sri. U.S. Krishna Rao and Smt. Chandrabhaga Devi, and Smt. Narmada Rao, Sujatha is known for her creative approach in choreography and for bringing freshness and new dimensions to a strong traditional foundation. She has worked as a dance therapist with Dr. Arpin, a well know Anthropologist/Psychiatrist, under the banner- Transcultural Consultations, and having studied Ayurveda and Reflexology, has contributed articles on dance and its health benefits to varied journals both in India and abroad. She is also the Bharatanatyam teacher at the Ateliers D’Ethnomusicologie (ADEM – www.adem.ch), an active cultural hub in Geneva.
Success in any art form should not be measured in terms of purse or personal fame, but by the extent to which it touches the hearts and spirits of others, particularly the underprivileged at home and abroad. Proceeds from a 2018 project JALA – The Dance of Water (raising awareness for climate change and the preservation of our planet’s natural resources) were given to Nanhi Kali (education for the girl child) and a Swiss NGO working on water infrastructures.
Prakriti-Omkara is a creative venture in service of the Malleswaram community (Bangalore,India), a place very dear to her heart as she grew up there before moving to Switzerland. Driven by a strong desire to serve the community by bringing awareness of relevant issues such as Climate Change and Sustainable living to residents, she hosts community projects highlighting these issues. The curtain raiser in July 2022 saw dancers, exploring climate change through movement, sharing the stage with eminent speakers on the conservation of natural resources. A year later, on 12 February 2023, local NGOs and its women entrepreneurs (Samudaya Sambrama) were given a showcase. This event invited residents to participate and extend a helping hand to the amazing work done by their local NGOs and support the uplifting of children and women. As of 2023, dance and music classes are being run for an all-girls orphanage called Need Base India, on the premises of a Government School. Dance and music bring these children a lot of joy and an outlet for their emotions.
More recently, Sujatha curated the dance festival Nartana Priya 2025, hosted by Dr. Pranitha Kamat - for which choreographies of her late Gurus U.S.Krishna Rao and Smt Chandrabhaga Devi were revived, taught and presented by dancers in Switzerland. She is also working on a Project called MahaMaya with two other senior dancers, an initiative to digitize the books and other relevant material of her Gurus.
Omkara School of Indian Dance was founded in 1987 and since has trained several students in the art of Bharatanatyam. Transmitting the art form and providing the correct information to the spectators so that they understand the philosophy of dance, has been of the highest priority of the school. In the spirit of sharing knowledge with no strings attached to conformed social norms, Omkara is home to students from varied backgrounds, culture and walks of life who share their experiences of life and dance, grow together and dance together in an atmosphere of complete harmony enriched with spiritual and cultural diversity. At Omkara the students learn much more than intricate footsteps and expressive gestures. It is about self-discovery through body dynamics and use of space, about finding joy through synchronisation of mind and body, about cultivating peace of mind through discipline, preparation and practice, which when followed regularly manifests as inner calm and abundant joy – powerful tools which enable dancers to experience professional growth and complete ownership over their art.
For more information