People

Guru Shanta Ponnudurai is a world renowned Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer and teacher. She holds a first class diploma from the prestigious Temple of Fine Arts Kalakshetra and had the rare privilege of being under the guidance of its founder, Smt.Rukmini Devi Arundale.

Pooja pursued her passion towards classical dance and began Kathak training at age of 12 under the guidance of Guru Smt Shilpa Kantak. Pooja has trained in both Jaipur and Lucknow gharana.

Thanathevy Mithradev has been a music consultant for the India School from the 1990s, and has received numerous awards at the International level.

Anna has been dancing Odissi in the Tradition of Guru Surendra Nath Jena for more than six years. Her teachers are Olga Rashko (Ukrainian) and Guru Pratibha Jena Singh (Indian). She was born in Ukraine, Lviv, and moved to Canada in 2019 to study Theatre and Film at the University of Winnipeg.

Revanti joined India School of Dance, Music & Theatre in 2022 as an instructor in traditional classical Kathak dance and Bollywood. She started dancing at the age of six under the guidance of Padma Shri Guru Rani Karnaa, who was also the disciple of Pandit Birju Maharaj at 'Sangeet Natak Academy' (Delhi, India) trained in both Jaipur and Lucknow Kathak gharanas.

Shavira began taking Kathak lessons at the India School of Dance, Music & Theatre in 2004. After five years of training, she completed her Aradhana, or graduation, with five other dancers as India School’s and Manitoba’s first group to do so in the style of Kathak.

Cynthia has taken Bharatanatyam lessons at India School of Dance, Music and Theatre for 12 years, has been teaching at the India School of Dance, Music and Theatre Inc. for 6 years, including the 2019, 2020 Aradhana graduates.

Divya George has been dancing Bharatanatyam at the India School of Dance, Music and Theatre Inc. since 2009, from the age of five years old. After completing her Aradhana in 2020, under her Guru, Ms. Shanta Ponnudurai, she has been teaching Bharatanatyam at the school since 2021.

Shalom began learning Bharatanatyam at the India School in 2008 at the age of six. Bharatanatyam has been a huge part of her life, as she grew up watching her sister and cousins taking Bharatanatyam lessons and training for their own Aradhanas.

Amjad Sabir is a versatile artist on Tabla, Harmonium, Sitar and Indian Banjo. Best known on the Winnipeg Scene as a vocalist.

For the last three years, Ishwar has been the Music Teacher for Beginners and Intermediate students, before handing over the aspiring musicians to be mentored by the Guru.

Born into a musically gifted family, it was natural for Jaya to be immersed into music and dance. With much dedication and hard work, Jaya has developed into an accomplished dancer and teacher over the past twenty years.

Ashna started her dance journey at the India School of Dance, Music, and Theatre when she was five years old, learning Bharatanatyam. She completed her Aradhana in 2019 under the guidance of her Guru, Shanta Ponnudurai. Since then, she has been teaching Bharatanatyam to share her passion with others.

Isha started learning Bharatnatyam at the age of ten. She completed her training in India, where she was born and brought up. Isha has recently moved to Canada to study at the University of Manitoba.

Shalini Narayan, with a rich background in Carnatic music, has been nurtured from a young age under the expert tutelage of Dr. M. Subalakshmi Muthuswamy, the esteemed President of Nandi Fine Arts Chennai. A regular presence in seasonal concerts and temple festivals, Shalini Narayan has also graced the stage as a performing artist on renowned TV channels such as Sun TV.

Since arriving in Manitoba in 1968 from Mumbai, India via Cleveland, Ohio, Pamela has had an ongoing influence and impact on the mainstream and ethnocultural arts at the municipal, provincial and national levels. She began with the Children's Dance Theatre in the 1970s, and over four decades later, Pamela continues to serve as the Executive Director at India School of Dance, Music and Theatre Inc.