Based in Southern California, Rangashree Dances of India offers performances and classes in Bharatanatyam and various folk dance styles. Rangashree emphasizes authentic and dignified presentations of traditional dance forms, eliciting sincerity from the dancer, and respect from the audience. Rangashree's dancers and students perform most often in California, but in recent years have appeared in Kansas City, Atlanta, and Italy.Classes are offered at various locations in the Los Angeles area. Most students are from the sizeable Indian community here, but non-Indians are encouraged to join. Because India's dance traditions are inseparable from its culture, dance classes include an element of cutural immersion.Rangashree is directed by Paulomi Pandit, an accomplished dancer and an alumna of the Kalakshetra Institute in Chennai, India. Paulomi practices and teaches Bharatanatyam in the Kalakshetra style, emphasizing refinement and purity. Having grown up in Gujarat, a region of India known for its love of dancing, Paulomi is an expert at various styles of folk dancing, and has choreographed a number of award-winning dances.A professional folk dance troupe developed by Paulomi is active in India, and it shares the Rangashree name. Based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and now led by Avani Pandit, the Rangashree troupe performs throughout India, and frequently overseas. The first section of this page describes the progression of a Bharatanatyam dance student at Rangashree.
