Natya Dance Theatre 410 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60605

"I am a Natya graduate and parent. My younger daughter and I have been so blessed to have such a dedicated teacher who truly knows how to bring out the best in each of her students. The children at this school are learning much more than just dance and will also create such meaningful friendships that will always last. Guru Hema and Krithika have especially gone above and beyond to make sure that the learning process in Natya has continued throughout this pandemic. My child has learned so much more now than before as well during this challenging time. Both of my girls had to stop their other extra curricular activities for now because their instructors didn’t know how or didn’t want to accommodate any form of online learning."

"Traditional Indian classical dance school and company with innovative choreography and dynamic dance movements. My daughter has blossomed from being a shy dancer to a confident performer with rigorous practice and continuous opportunities provided by Natya. As we are cooped inside due to the pandemic, we have been immersed in Natya classes, extra sessions, Solos Together showcase series these past weeks and the learning continues. The school is for serious learners who can become performers with years of practice."

"My daughter has been learning Bharatanatyam from Smt Hema Rajagopalan for the past five years and I compare her training to how I was trained more than 30 years ago in India. She is very disciplined yet gentle with her students, and really takes the time to teach them to love the art form as much she most obviously does. I was so impressed with her teaching style, that I have recently joined her adult classes!"

"My daughter has been learning from Guru Hema Rajagopalan for 10 years. We feel so fortunate to be a part of the Natya Dance Theatre family. The pure devotion that Guru Hema has to bharata natyum is felt in every class. She teaches her students so much more than the dance, she teaches life skills and lessons. Further, watching the company perform is such a treat. We have been fortunate enough to see many productions over the years and each one has been spectacular."

"This is Bharathanatyam at its very best in the US. Can compete at any level to the dancers back in India. Bharathanatyam, the oldest Indian dance form, strives to incorporate both expression with athletically strong dance movements to convey a story. The Academy has been engaged for the last 40 years training generations of children in the foundation of Bharathanatyam. The Theater takes it up another notch and performs cutting-edge and innovative productions which can be enjoyed by all, no matter your ethnic background. I am both a student and a parent of students and have been attending performances for years. Follow them and don't miss their next performance."