{"id":358,"date":"2026-07-03T02:02:08","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T02:02:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/taranadance.com\/staging-1\/?page_id=358"},"modified":"2026-07-03T06:40:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T06:40:16","slug":"bio","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/taranadance.com\/?page_id=358","title":{"rendered":"About"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"brz brz-root__container brz-reset-all brz-root__container-page\" >\n<section id=\"eTh3rKh2_rGi_eTh3rKh2_rGi\" class=\"brz-section brz-css-d-ynf0il brz-css-1p89en4\">\n<div class=\"brz-section__content brz-section--fullWidth brz-css-d-oh3bvl brz-css-37ju2v\" data-brz-custom-id=\"qQ2_Nb0jKKJk\">\n<div class=\"brz-container brz-css-d-x9rvyp brz-css-1aru2xm\">\n<div class=\"brz-row__container brz-css-d-w3a52u brz-css-7065cp\" data-brz-custom-id=\"lwwKuDKhwA1V\">\n<div class=\"brz-bg\">\n<div class=\"brz-bg-color\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"brz-row brz-css-d-1n95ksq brz-css-1uslr32\">\n<div class=\"brz-columns brz-css-d-j7y22h brz-css-wlwmdl\" data-brz-custom-id=\"m5N_OyinyvQz\">\n<div class=\"brz-bg\">\n<div class=\"brz-bg-image\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"brz-column__items brz-css-d-v5w42e brz-css-eutada\">\n<div id=\"\" class=\"brz-css-d-1wonu5h brz-css-1vu587w brz-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"brz-rich-text brz-rich-text__custom brz-css-d-1ehz5mr brz-css-1ysv3br\" data-brz-custom-id=\"lS8WCq9ljvhf\">\n<div data-brz-translate-text=\"1\">\n<p class=\"brz-text-xs-center brz-text-lg-center brz-fss-lg-px brz-fw-lg-400 brz-ls-lg-0 brz-lh-lg-1_8 brz-vfw-lg-400 brz-fwdth-lg-100 brz-fsft-lg-0 brz-tp-lg-empty brz-ff-playfair_display brz-ft-google brz-fs-lg-60 brz-fss-xs-px brz-fw-xs-400 brz-ls-xs-0 brz-lh-xs-1_8 brz-vfw-xs-400 brz-fwdth-xs-100 brz-fsft-xs-0 brz-tp-xs-empty brz-fs-xs-20 brz-css-kwBq9\" data-generated-css=\"brz-css-bRrPY\" data-uniq-id=\"dvahH\"><strong class=\"brz-bold-true\" style=\"background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: rgba(129, 131, 125, 0.98);\">Tarana&#8217;s Arangetram<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"brz-columns brz-css-d-j7y22h brz-css-nci38p\" data-brz-custom-id=\"qG6fiJii6W2t\">\n<div class=\"brz-column__items brz-css-d-v5w42e brz-css-1xkhe7e\">\n<div id=\"\" class=\"brz-css-d-1wonu5h brz-css-32jga1 brz-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"brz-menu-simple brz-css-d-oq79tx brz-css-1suf0bk\">\n<div style=\"min-height:20px\">\n<div class=\"menu-menu_main-container\">\n<ul id=\"menu-menu_main\" class=\"menu\">\n<li id=\"menu-item-385\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-home menu-item-385\"><a href=\"https:\/\/taranadance.com\/\">Intro<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-384\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-384\"><a href=\"https:\/\/taranadance.com\/?page_id=308\">Maargam<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-382\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-382\"><a href=\"https:\/\/taranadance.com\/?page_id=358\">About<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-383\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-383\"><a href=\"https:\/\/taranadance.com\/?page_id=299\">Invitation<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"mjTwpCQvHj3w_mjTwpCQvHj3w\" class=\"brz-section brz-css-d-ynf0il brz-css-fv7scn\">\n<div class=\"brz-section__content brz-section--fullWidth brz-css-d-oh3bvl brz-css-1mn4l67\" data-brz-custom-id=\"k_WF0fBXjb3Q\">\n<div class=\"brz-container brz-css-d-x9rvyp brz-css-ztps4q\">\n<div class=\"brz-row__container brz-css-d-w3a52u brz-css-p0a6sv\" data-brz-custom-id=\"ax9bXGrMfxJe\">\n<div class=\"brz-bg\">\n<div class=\"brz-bg-color\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"brz-row brz-css-d-1n95ksq brz-css-1s5ymr2\">\n<div class=\"brz-columns brz-css-d-j7y22h brz-css-o5ymco\" data-brz-custom-id=\"gBXWnL1X5NrE\">\n<div class=\"brz-column__items brz-css-d-v5w42e brz-css-muf9o5\">\n<div id=\"\" class=\"brz-css-d-1wonu5h brz-css-124j52x brz-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"brz-rich-text brz-rich-text__custom brz-css-d-1ehz5mr brz-css-1qtd5z1\" data-brz-custom-id=\"hLIvrXq03dsl\">\n<div data-brz-translate-text=\"1\">\n<p class=\"brz-tp-lg-paragraph brz-css-wCZ1X\" data-generated-css=\"brz-css-acBli\" data-uniq-id=\"hYUXS\"><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"brz-tp-lg-heading2 brz-css-watWK\" data-generated-css=\"brz-css-quG8p\" data-uniq-id=\"bzpqk\"><span class=\"brz-cp-color5\" style=\"color: rgba(var(--brz-global-color5),1);\">Guru Sridevi Jagannath<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"brz-tp-lg-paragraph brz-css-gSvWI\" data-generated-css=\"brz-css-hjB1U\" data-uniq-id=\"wM7XX\"><span class=\"brz-cp-color5\" style=\"color: rgba(var(--brz-global-color5),1);\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"brz-tp-lg-paragraph brz-css-trRYW\" data-generated-css=\"brz-css-hjB1U\" data-uniq-id=\"wM7XX\"><span class=\"brz-cp-color5\" style=\"color: rgba(var(--brz-global-color5),1);\">Sridevi Jagannath is the Director of Laasya School of Dance and Music and a proficient Bharatanatyam dancer with over four decades of performing experience. She trained under renowned gurus including Padmini Ravi, K.J. Sarasa, the late Smt. Bhanumathi, and Smt. Lalitha Srinivasan (Mysore Style), and continues to train under Natyacharya Smt. Shobana Balachandra and Padmini Ravi.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"brz-tp-lg-paragraph brz-css-yS71v\" data-generated-css=\"brz-css-hJVvb\" data-uniq-id=\"iXyhD\"><span class=\"brz-cp-color5\" style=\"color: rgba(var(--brz-global-color5),1);\">She founded Laasya School of Dance and Music in Durham, NC in 1995 (now in its 31st year), building it into one of the premier Bharatanatyam institutions in the Triangle area. In 32 years of teaching, she has guided over 100 students through their arangetrams and founded NATYA, a non-profit promoting solo classical dance among youth in the Triangle. Known affectionately as &#8220;Sridevi akka,&#8221; she has taken her dance troupe to perform across the U.S., Canada, Australia, Dubai, Japan, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, and India, with acclaimed productions including <\/span><em class=\"brz-cp-color5\" style=\"color: rgba(var(--brz-global-color5),1);\">Krishna Bhakti Mala<\/em><span class=\"brz-cp-color5\" style=\"color: rgba(var(--brz-global-color5),1);\">, <\/span><em class=\"brz-cp-color5\" style=\"color: rgba(var(--brz-global-color5),1);\">Dashavataram<\/em><span class=\"brz-cp-color5\" style=\"color: rgba(var(--brz-global-color5),1);\">, <\/span><em class=\"brz-cp-color5\" style=\"color: rgba(var(--brz-global-color5),1);\">Yaatra<\/em><span class=\"brz-cp-color5\" style=\"color: rgba(var(--brz-global-color5),1);\">, and <\/span><em class=\"brz-cp-color5\" style=\"color: rgba(var(--brz-global-color5),1);\">Samatva<\/em><span class=\"brz-cp-color5\" style=\"color: rgba(var(--brz-global-color5),1);\"> (addressing mental health stigma in Asian communities), as well as the widely praised <\/span><em class=\"brz-cp-color5\" style=\"color: rgba(var(--brz-global-color5),1);\">Raja Simha<\/em><span class=\"brz-cp-color5\" style=\"color: rgba(var(--brz-global-color5),1);\">, inspired by <\/span><em class=\"brz-cp-color5\" style=\"color: rgba(var(--brz-global-color5),1);\">The Lion King<\/em><span class=\"brz-cp-color5\" style=\"color: rgba(var(--brz-global-color5),1);\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"brz-tp-lg-paragraph brz-css-dlCxE\" data-generated-css=\"brz-css-bain8\" data-uniq-id=\"p4Rjj\"><span class=\"brz-cp-color5\" style=\"color: rgba(var(--brz-global-color5),1);\">Her honors include the Heritage India Award for Excellence in Teaching, a Leadership Excellence Award from Pratham, the Aryabhatta International Award (Government of Karnataka, 2017), and the Konark Nritya Ratna Award (Government of Odisha, 2018). She is also deeply committed to community service, having raised over $25,000 for Pratham and $4,000 for Make-A-Wish NC through her dance productions. Sridevi holds an MBA in Global Management, is a certified Life Coach, and serves on the examination boards of The Griffin College, London, and Pracheena Kala Kendra. She is currently learning Sattriya, an eighth classical Indian dance form, and continues to lead international dance immersion programs for young dancers. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"brz-tp-lg-paragraph brz-css-fLwJ8\" data-generated-css=\"brz-css-ogLDV\" data-uniq-id=\"i36Ci\"><span class=\"brz-cp-color5\" style=\"color: rgba(var(--brz-global-color5),1);\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"brz-tp-lg-paragraph brz-css-kWKnz\" data-generated-css=\"brz-css-fx6nk\" data-uniq-id=\"fqRlk\"><span class=\"brz-cp-color5\" style=\"color: rgba(var(--brz-global-color5),1);\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"brz-tp-lg-paragraph brz-css-lb5Ty\" data-generated-css=\"brz-css-uiHmg\" data-uniq-id=\"erjtX\"><span class=\"brz-cp-color5\" style=\"color: rgba(var(--brz-global-color5),1);\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"brz-tp-lg-paragraph brz-css-nMUQ0\" data-generated-css=\"brz-css-uiHmg\" data-uniq-id=\"erjtX\"><span class=\"brz-cp-color5\" style=\"color: rgba(var(--brz-global-color5),1);\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"brz-tp-lg-paragraph brz-css-gEfbo\" data-generated-css=\"brz-css-uiHmg\" data-uniq-id=\"erjtX\"><span class=\"brz-cp-color5\" style=\"color: rgba(var(--brz-global-color5),1);\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<h1 data-generated-css=\"brz-css-x5Y9B\" data-uniq-id=\"mpq1q\" class=\"brz-tp-lg-heading1 brz-css-x2X7J\"><span class=\"brz-cp-color5\" style=\"color: rgba(var(--brz-global-color5),1);\">Tarana <\/span><\/h1>\n<p data-generated-css=\"brz-css-vLcfY\" data-uniq-id=\"gNdTL\" class=\"brz-tp-lg-paragraph brz-css-v01mt\"><span class=\"brz-cp-color5\" style=\"color: rgba(var(--brz-global-color5),1);\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p data-generated-css=\"brz-css-vLcfY\" data-uniq-id=\"gNdTL\" class=\"brz-tp-lg-paragraph brz-css-jygA0\"><span class=\"brz-cp-color5\" style=\"color: rgba(var(--brz-global-color5),1);\"> Tarana Adukoori has been learning the Vazhavoor style of Bharatanatyam for around 10 years under the guidance of guru Smt. Sridevi Jagannath. Tarana is a board member of NATYA, a non-profit organization run by 7 senior students of the Laasya School of Dance, which provides Indian classical dancers of all levels the opportunity to perform solo. Tarana has also interned at Laasya. This August, she will be studying computer science at Johns Hopkins University.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"otaH7hhbYkQE_otaH7hhbYkQE\" class=\"brz-section brz-css-d-ynf0il brz-css-10f72er\">\n<div class=\"brz-section__content brz-section--boxed brz-css-d-oh3bvl brz-css-1s8h119\" data-brz-custom-id=\"wsZq0QB7WuXI\">\n<div class=\"brz-container brz-css-d-x9rvyp brz-css-17ysfjy\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div>\n<p><!-- version:1783060816 --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tarana&#8217;s Arangetram Intro Maargam About Invitation Guru Sridevi Jagannath Sridevi Jagannath is the Director of Laasya School of Dance and Music and a proficient Bharatanatyam dancer with over four decades of performing experience. She trained under renowned gurus including Padmini Ravi, K.J. Sarasa, the late Smt. Bhanumathi, and Smt. Lalitha Srinivasan (Mysore Style), and continues [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"brizy-blank-template.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-358","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"blocksy_meta":[],"brizy_media":[{"id":388,"url":"https:\/\/taranadance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_20260702_212818.jpg","name":"IMG_20260702_212818.jpg","meta":{"brizy_attachment_uid":"wp-be667e9191b3df8630d3089559a2e0ee.jpg","brizy_post_uid":["38066c32c1c6a3901fd1848f0fde3210","f7cde6e743cf02d06af7cf454f2d40a9","2017f11eb3533240356ee605d96bd879","792274e53861e28ddbb7dd425ab6eef4"]}}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/taranadance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/358","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/taranadance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/taranadance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/taranadance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/taranadance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=358"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/taranadance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/358\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":502,"href":"https:\/\/taranadance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/358\/revisions\/502"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/taranadance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=358"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}