Jam to Our Beats

Founded in 2012, Sarada Kala Nilayam (SKN) is a performing arts organization dedicated to inspiring creativity and fostering community. At SKN, dance is more than movement—it is a language of expression, a bridge between tradition and modernity, and a means to build connections. SKN nurtures students who aspire to become serious practitioners of Bharatanatyam and Nattuvangam, encouraging curiosity, collaboration, and artistic growth. The organization also advocates for fair pay for artists and works towards making Bharatanatyam accessible to diverse audiences. With a vision to expand Bharatanatyam’s reach, we continue to innovate, educate, and inspire the next generation of dancers.

Sweta Ravisankar:

My name is Sweta. I am a Bharatanatyam artist, teacher, and choreographer. Holding a Master’s degree in Bharatanatyam (MFA), I serve as the artistic director of Sarada Kala Nilayam (SKN). I’ve had the privilege of performing over 100 solo recitals across the U.S. and India. These experiences have been deeply meaningful, as I’ve received blessings from legends such as Kalaimamani K.J. Sarasa, Padmashri Lalgudi Jayaraman, and Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna. One of my most cherished moments was performing in the presence of Pujya Guru Swami Thejomayanandaji of Chinmaya Mission. I continue to train under Guru Smt. Padmini Radhakrishnan (Mumbai) and Guru Smt. Roja Kannan (Chennai) and my father, Sri S.Ravisankar

Meera Nair:
Meera has been learning Bharatanatyam with SKN for the past 8 years, and nattuvangam for the past 5 years and has been a part of many SKN dance productions. She says she has enjoyed the yearly jathi workshops conducted by Sri. S. Ravisankar. 

Prajyula Pemmaraju:
By day, she works as a Process Integrator at Intel, and by heart, she is a mom to a baby girl and a playful fur baby. Dance has been a huge part ot her  life. She has been learning Bharatanatyam and Nattuvangam from SKN for over seven years now, and it continues to be a space where she feels most alive. When she is not dancing or chasing deadlines (or toddlers!), you’ll find her traveling, spending time with her favorite people, or enjoying adventure sports.

Priyanka Murali: 

Sankara Drumming was founded in Portland by Shankar Viswanathan, in collaboration with T.H.Subashchandran, a legendary Carnatic percussionist. The school has been training Portland students in south indian percussion for over 20 years.  Murali Krishna took over as the artistic co-director of the school in 2019. The school’s other co-director is Ganesh Kumar, a renowned Kanjira artist.

Murali Krishna: 

Murali trained as a Carnatic singer, and later as a percussionist. I wear either hat, singer or percussionist, or both, depending on my mood! His approach to teaching percussion is one of fostering curiosity about the music around us, regardless of the genre - Carnatic or any other. 

Krishna Prasannan:

Krishna has been playing the Ghatam for over 11 years. He is in high demand as a performer thanks to being one of very few performers of the Ghatam in North America. He performs often at various music festivals all over the US, and recently added Kanjira playing to his skillset. He has been playing the Kanjira for classical dance programs. He is an Indian Raga Fellow for Ghatam, is studying architecture at UofO in Eugene. He is also an Eagle Scout!

Ameya Bharadhwaj:

Ameya has been training on the mridangam since the time his hands could just barely reach both sides of the mridangam. He continues to perform in Portland area often - for classical dance and music programs - despite being away at college. It helps that he is studying relatively close-by at OSU and can juggle his passions - for music and academics.