In Indian culture, the Guru-Shishya (Teacher-Disciple) tradition is one where the Shishya (student) pursues knowledge of a chosen subject from an expert (Guru) in complete surrender. In modern times, this tradition is now carried on mostly in the Indian classical music and dance art forms. The Guru-Shishya relationship is held in very high esteem, next only to that of the mother-child.

In Bharathanatyam, the student not only learns the physical aspects of dance, but also the philosophy and psychology of a poem or hymn from the Guru. Coming up with a repertoire for a traditional arangetram and executing it to perfection is a long term project and involves immense understanding between the Guru and Shishya.

Guru Sanjeeta Mukherjee is the founder and artistic director of Sanchari School of Dance. She is trained in the kalakshetra style of Bharatnatyam and has trained under Sri Narasimhachari and Srimati Vasanthalakshmi. Guru Sanjeeta breaks free from the old rhetoric of Bharatnatyam, she innovates and is always on a quest to create traditional pieces with a modern touch. She approaches her students with the psychological framework of a child, and can adapt her teaching style to teach a student of any age.

She started learning Bharatnatyam at 4 years of age in Kolkata, India, and continued to pursue her passion even while getting a Master’s degree in Economics from Ethiraj College in Chennai. She has performed at various ballets and competitions, both in India and the United States. Her passion for the dance form is what led her into teaching, and that is how Sanchari School of Dance was born. She does not look at Bharatnatyam as a dance form, to her, it’s a lifestyle, her spiritual guide and the emotional center of gravity that brings balance and stability to her life.

Guru Sanjeeta instills in her students a love for the art, discipline for consistent practice, taking responsibility for the lack of practice and making them want more of all this week after week. She makes her students train hard, disciplines them hard and loves them harder. Every week, we send our girls to train from this special kind of drill sergeant, and our girls cannot wait to go back for more!

As a choreographer , Guru Sanjeeta’s quest is to constantly find new ways to create fresh and relevant works that connect with contemporary audiences. She believes in staying true to the depth and beauty of the Indian classical dance style while pushing its boundaries to explore new avenues of creative expression.

Sanchari School of Dance offers bharatnatyam arangetrum training and development for children and adults, helps appreciating and creating an awareness for dance and music, holds workshops for children and adults. It’s basic intention is to raise the profile of Indian Arts in the United States of America

Amala Chandra is a fifteen-year-old rising sophomore who is finishing up her freshman year as an advanced student at Westwood High School, Austin Texas. She has been learning dance from her Guru Sanjeeta Mukherjee for 5 years now; starting in 2017 to present day. Amala's passion for her cultural heritage can be easily highlighted and emphasized through her dance in Bharathanatyam. It is how she studies expressions, storytelling, physical strength, coordination, and combining all these amazing qualities together onstage.

Amala has participated in many Indian Raga competitions and won awards related to this art form. Apart from Bharathanatyam, her several interests include drawing, sketching, and martial arts. As a stubborn perfectionist, Amala applies this mindset into her practice, striving for fluency and charm.

She also has a year of experience in Soo Bahk Do, Korean Martial Arts. Before her family moved to Texas, she was also a student of Mallakhamb, a traditional sport in which a gymnast performs aerial yoga and wrestling grips on a wooden pole, or rope. She is now a student in Kalari Adimurai, a form of Martial Arts from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

All these art forms have helped to strengthen her abilities to make her capable of giving a 3-hour solo stage performance, which is no less a feat than that of an athlete's!