Chandrabhanu Bharatalaya Academy

03/06/2026

Reminiscing as we prepare for LEGACY: Grand Odissi Festival

Aug 1st, 2nd, 7th & 8th, Darebin Arts Centre, Preston

🎟 Tickets now available 🎟
https://arts.darebin.vic.gov.au/Whats-on/Legacy-Odissi-Festival

Meet our dancers..

Anushka Banerjee

My dance journey started at Bharatalaya, learning Bharata Natyam from the age of five and eventually completing my arangetram at sixteen in 2009. After what I’ll call a short break, I returned in 2023, this time to (finally) begin my Odissi journey. Coming back to dance felt like returning to a part of myself I hadn’t realised I missed. What was once something I simply learned and did now feels far more intentional and personal.

Mamu has shown me that dance is about much more than movement. While learning choreography is one thing, understanding the feeling, intention, and connection behind it is another challenge entirely. It’s something I’m still learning, but it has given me a much deeper appreciation for dance.

Watching his choreography evolve in real time alongside live music composed by Krushna Ji, while Ambika Akka thoughtfully brings together every production and costume detail, is truly unique. Especially knowing how rare it is to experience a creative process like this, something I don’t take for granted.

I’m fortunate to be performing in Legacy alongside such a talented and dedicated cast, spanning multiple generations. To me, this is a testament to the legacy Mamu has built over so many decades, and together we hope to play a small part in carrying that legacy forward.

Photography credit:
Lyrical Sky, Prashaanth Ravindran

https://www.gofundme.com/f/legacy-odissi-dance-show

24/05/2026

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19/05/2026

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11/05/2026

Reminiscing as we prepare for LEGACY: Grand Odissi Festival
Aug 1st, 2nd, 7th & 8th, Darebin Arts Centre, Preston
Tickets available next week 🥳

Meet our dancers...

Soumya Veeraraghavan

Soumya commenced Bharata Natyam at the age of 5 in Hosur, Sth India and performed her debut performance at Kasturi Srinivasan Hall, Music Academy, at the age of 15. Migrated to Australia in 2008 and joined Bharatalaya in September of the same year. Since then, Soumya has been a regular participant in Nrityanjali, the annual school show and productions such as Mariamman (2013), Manushi (2017) and Geeta Govinda (2019), and has been an active member of the Bharatalaya choir.

Says Soumya....
Krushna ji's musical compositions and the depth of his voice have been my true inspiration to begin learning Odissi. Since my second attempt to embrace this beautiful art form in 2015, I have never looked back. Watching numerous live performances, where Krushna ji's music and Mamu's extraordinary choreography spoke a unique language that resonated deeply within me, ignited my passion to pursue this dance form.
As a Bharatanatyam dancer for almost four decades, learning Odissi drew my attention to its distinctive sculptural quality. For me, dance is a way to ground myself, stay fully present, and explore the profound connection between body and mind. I have never felt more alive than when holding postures like chowk (square stance) and tribhangi (three-bend, S-shaped posture), the two fundamental and defining postures of Odissi. This dance has taught me to listen more attentively to my body, helping me refine and deepen my practice.
Odissi’s intense yet fluid nature—stable and powerful, yet graceful and sensuous—combined with Mamu’s intrinsic choreography and Krushna ji’s deep, raw voice, continually draws me to explore its nuances.
At the heart of this journey is Ambika akka’s encouragement, unwavering support, and her meticulous care in selecting and designing costumes with exceptional aesthetic quality.
Through stillness in movement, Odissi brings profound depth to my dance practice, enabling me to experience something extraordinarily powerful, joyous, and transformative. For this, I offer my deepest respect, love, and gratitude to Mamu, Ambika akka, and Krushna ji. I truly cherish the privilege of preparing for and being part of this enduring Legacy.

Photography credit:
Arun Munoz
Santhosh from Sanvik Photography
7 Beyond Images, Malaysia

https://www.gofundme.com/f/legacy-odissi-dance-show

01/04/2026

💫LEGACY 💫
"Grand Odissi Festival"
August 1st & 2nd, 7th & 8th,
Darebin Arts Centre
Ticket link coming soon!

On the occasion of Krushna Chandra Ray's 60th birthday, we celebrate and honour the LEGACY created by Dr Chandrabhanu OAM and Krushna Chandra Ray in the field of Odissi Dance & Music.

What a privilege to have been involved in the artistic, creative process of Odissi classical dance and music in Melbourne over the last four decades with Mamu and Krushna ji❣️

Photography credit: Prashaanth Ravindran
Photo from 'Ambika in Odissi' 2008, Alexander Theatre, Monash University

15/03/2026

Congratulations to Karthiga Sahathevan for her wonderful vocal Arangetram in Carnatic music on Saturday night, 14th March at Darebin Arts Centre.
She sang to her heart's content for three hours accompanied by a magnificent orchestra!
B.V. Ragavendra Rao on Violin
Ramakrishnan Neelamani on Mrdangam
Kasthuri Sahathevan on Veena
Sivasuruthy Sivanesan on Tanpura

Very proud moment for Sivaganga (Guru & mother) and the Chandrabhanu Haroon Bharatalaya Academy.
We have watched both girls, Kasthuri and Karthiga grow up in Melbourne, yet dedicated to Indian classical music. So extremly talented and devoted to music and flourishing under the guidance of their mum Sivaganga.

We wish Karthiga every success as a Carnatic vocalist 💖 💕

18/02/2026

18/02/2026

🪈 Experience an unforgettable evening of classical Indian dance at Vaishnava Janato: Stories of Devotion ✨

Presented by the Dr Chandrabhanu Bharatalaya Academy, this captivating solo Bharatanatyam performance by Gayathri Gomatam brings to life powerful stories from the Hindu Puranas and Ithihāsās — celebrating the many forms of the divine through movement, expression, and rhythm.

🗓 Saturday, 28 February 2026

⏰ 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM (3 hours with interval)

📍 Darebin Arts Centre, Preston VIC

🎟 $40 Standard | $30 Concession | $30 Child (12 & under) | $30 Group (10+)

🚨 Tickets are selling fast and this is expected to be a sell-out performance. Hurry to avoid disappointment.

🔗 Book now: shorturl.at/Tc6D6

Let yourself be immersed in devotion, storytelling, and the timeless beauty of Bharatanatyam.

09/02/2026

We have x3 New Classes at Bharatalaya!

1) Pre-school introduction to Indian Dance & Music - Sunday 10.45am in Glen Iris

2) Beginner level Bharata Natyam
- Wednesday 5.30pm & Sunday 2.30pm in Sth Morang

3) Junior level Odissi (suitable for students with a dance background)
-Thursday 8pm in Glen Iris

For more information please message Ambika 0414678923

02/02/2026

A new Kathak performance from award-winning UK choreographer and dancer Aakash Odedra is coming to Arts Centre Melbourne 3 - 7 February. Link to event: https://www.artscentremelbourne.com.au/whats-on/2026/dance/songs-of-the-bulbul?emailsource=BULBUL
Get 30% off by clicking on the link above or using code: BULBUL

Birdsong is fleeting – like dance, it exists only in the present, vanishing as soon as it is sung.