Chitra Visweswaran, a legend in the field of Indian dance, is an eminent dancer, intuitive teacher,  choreographer par excellence, composer and lyricist and has the distinction of being a scholar, thinker and seeker. It is this aesthetic vision that has seen her art transcend and go beyond  grammar and technique , to touch and evoke in the viewer, a unique aesthetic and spiritual experience. Her enquiring , scholastic mind has seen her stretch the parameters of dance and dance scholarship, as she continues to perform and lecture across the globe.

Intent on passing on this tradition to following generations, Chitra and Visweswaran, the much acclaimed and unique dancer-singer , choreographer-composer pair, established Chidambaram Academy of Performing Arts in 1974, introducing a new holistic vision and approach to dance training. 

Known as an extraordinary choreographer, Chitra Visweswaran, in collaboration with musician composer  husband, R.Visweswaran, has created  a voluminous body of work, covering several margams, thematic solo, group and dance theatre productions, which reflect individuality , are a synergy of tradition, innovation and the contemporary, each a  gem, unique to Chitra and her style propagated by her only at  Chidambaram Academy of Performing Arts and it affiliate institutions. 

Chitra Visweswaran’s passion for dissemination of arts has led to her creating several outreach programs,  especially in non metros and grassroot levels, targeting the less privileged.

Due to Smt. Sukanya’s unflinching devotion to the Art form and loyalty to Chidambaram Academy Of Performing Arts, Smt. Sukanya Ravindhar was recently handed over the Directorship of CAPA. The Directorship chair was kept unoccupied for the last 16 years since the demise of Sri, Visweswaran and with Ms. Sukanya Ravindhar we now have a deserving occupant.

Sukanya Ravindhar has studied Bharatanatyam from Padmashri Smt Chitra Visweswaran and has been part of Smt Chitra Visweswarans’s dance institution, Chidambaram Academy of Performing Arts, Chennai for over 30 years. She has chosen to specialise in dance dramas and dance theatre productions of the institution. She has been part of several mega productions of the Academy. Sukanya has had the privilege of learning nattuvangam (the complex art of wielding the cymbals) from her Guru, Smt Chitra Visweswaran. She has been performing nattuvangam for her Guru since 1993.

Sukanya Ravindhar is a dedicated and sensitive Acharya, who teaches and trains students in the holistic tradition, designed and developed by her Guru Smt Chitra Visweswaran. Sukanya has completed an advanced teachers training course and is at present the Deputy Director & senior most faculty member at Chidambaram Academy of Performing Arts (CAPA). She is also the Centre Head for the ECR Branch of CAPA, wherein she teaches beginners, as well as advanced students.

Her training in the teaching methodology of International Baccalaureate® through Grassroots Global School of which she was Founder/Trustee, has inspired and prompted her to bring in new age concepts and promote an inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning of the arts.

Aarthi is an entrepreneur who runs Agam Foods that curates homemade, natural food products and Weave that sells handloom sarees. However, she firmly believes in the adage – ‘Once a dancer, always a dancer’.

Aarthi joined CAPA when she was 5 years old. She completed her arangetram when she was 14 and went on to represent India as part of the Commonwealth during the VE Day celebrations in London, where she performed in front of the Royal family. She is an NCERT and Bharat Kalachar scholarship holder. 

Aarthi joined the teaching faculty at CAPA in 2017. She has worked on passing down Chitra Akka’s principles and values that she herself has learnt over the years. Under the able guidance of Sukanya Ravindhar, she helps students understand the CAPA way of life.

Aarthi’s daughter, Triyana, is also a proud student of the CAPA family, thereby ensuring the continuum of the parampara.

Sneha joined CAPA at the age of 9 under the tutelage of Smt Chitra Visweswaran. Since her arangetram she has been performing as part of Chidambaram Dance Company both nationally and internationally. She also had the privilege of  performing solos and has received the Guru Vazhuvoor Ramaiah Pillai Endowment Prize by Sri Krishna Gana Sabha.

A dedicated student of CAPA for the past 15 years, she has been part of the teaching faculty since 2016 at CAPA after completing her teachers training course. Having been guided and trained in various aspects such as lighting, costume design, weaves and sculpture by her Guru Chitra Akka herself, she attributes her eye for aesthetics and multidisciplinary personality to Chitra akka and the institution. 

Sneha, a textile designer by qualification, is also an entrepreneur and runs her own home furnishing and interior design studio, Narah -The Design House in Chennai. She truly believes CAPA has been instrumental in moulding her into the person, dancer and entrepreneur that she is today.

Sai Priya , a very enthusiastic dancer, is currently pursuing her graduation in Computer Science Engineering . She joined CAPA at a tender age of 5 in the year 2007 and had her Arangetram in 2017 . She has been a dedicated student of CAPA for the past 14 years . Sai Priya has performed in the various group productions of the institution since 2017 and is currently part of Chidambaram Dance Company .

She feels immensely blessed and fortunate, as she continues to learn this divine art form under the tutelage of her Guru, Chitra Akka . She strongly feels that learning under a renowned Guru facilitated her to gain an understanding of the merits and values of the art form , hard work and time management, important skills that help her handle and balance different challenges in life .

Sai Priya is currently undergoing her teachers training course at CAPA and is on the team that handles the social media presence of the Academy

Saraswathi Krishnan started her career with NIIT as a Systems Associate, and has always been passionate about teaching. She has the experience of teaching people from different walks of life – company executives, home makers, children, and people with special needs.
She is proficient in teaching, system development and software testing skills in the software industry with 10 years of experience at Progress Software Development Private Limited.

She has been providing Academic Content Development consulting to Kognify Assessment and Skill Development Pvt Ltd, since July 2018.
Saraswathi has joined CAPA in a voluntary capacity, as Community Liaison, and will be involved in creating a seamless connection between our institution and the community. She will be our personal contact for the institution’s new admissions and enquiries.