Mysuru: As part of its landmark 30th Anniversary celebrations, premier cultural institution Nrityagiri Performing Arts & Research Centre, Mysuru, is presenting a solo Bharatanatyam recital by accomplished classical dancer Pooja Sugam.

Marking the third event in the Anniversary series and the very first event on the performance side, the recital is scheduled for Sept. 24 at 6 pm at Ganabharathi’s RamaGovinda Kalavedike in Kuvempunagar.

Vidu. Jyothi Shankar, Professor, Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), Mysuru and Ravi Kumar & Amruta Ravikumar, Renowned Art Patrons, will be the chief guests.

A distinguished ensemble of accompanying artistes will provide live musical accompaniment for the recital.

Artiste’s profile

Pooja Sugam is an acclaimed young classical dancer, musician and educator. She is the daughter and disciple of celebrated dance guru Dr. Kripa Phadke, Artistic Director of Nrityagiri.

Alongside her performance career, Pooja actively serves as a teacher at Nrityagiri, guiding the next generation of dancers.

To deepen her repertoire, she has undergone advanced Bharatanatyam training under S. Vijay Kumar of Chennai and receives specialised nattuvanga guidance under renowned master Nagai P. Sriram of Chennai.

Demonstrating rare scholarship across music and dance, Pooja holds Master’s degrees (MA) in both Bharatanatyam and Karnatak Music. She is a recipient of the prestigious CCRT Scholarship for Young Artistes awarded by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India and is an auditioned Graded Artiste of Doordarshan.

In addition to performing extensively with Dr. Kripa Phadke on prestigious stages nationwide, Pooja has gained widespread acclaim over the last 5-6 years alongside her co-dancer K.M. Samiksha. Celebrated across classical circles as the ‘Dynamic Duo,’ the pair was conferred the prestigious Muthuswami Pillai Prize for Best Performance (Duet) by Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, Chennai.

Expanding her commitment to classical pedagogy, Pooja, together with Samiksha, recently co-founded Aikyam Artistic Harmonies in Bengaluru to train students in classical dance and music.