Saipriya Rahulan began her journey in Bharatanatyam at the tender age of four, in Nigeria. She continued her training under Guru Kalasuri Vasugy Jegatheeswaran in Sri Lanka, where she performed her Arangetram at ten years old. After moving to Australia in 1992, she trained under Guru Anandavalli at the Lingalayam Dance Academy and later performed extensively as part of the Lingalayam Dance Company.

 

Saipriya’s passion for the art-form also led her to study Kuchipudi under Guru Vempati Ravi Shankar in Chennai. Since 2015, Saipriya has refined her Bharatanatyam training and teaching under the guidance of Shrimati Dr. Sheela Unnikrishnan and further enriched her practice in Naatuvangam from Shri Dr. G. V. Guru Bharadwaj.

 

In 2009, Saipriya founded the Shivam School of Dance (SSD) with the vision of nurturing the next generation of dancers in Australia through the discipline, creativity, and devotion imparted by her own Gurus.

 

Her students have performed at prestigious cultural events, including the Melbourne Trinity Festival in 2019, and opening performances for Harinie Jeevitha’s Australian solo debut in 2019 and the Sydney premiere of Singapore’s Apsaras Arts Dance Company’s “Parama Padam: Life’s Game of Snakes and Ladders,” in 2023.

 

Internationally, Shivam School of Dance has been honoured to represent Australia at the Natyanjali Festival in India in 2024 and 2025, performing at sacred temples in the Thanjavur district during the auspicious festival of Shivarathri. These experiences have deepened students’ spiritual connection to Bharatanatyam whilst affirming the school’s commitment to preserving this timeless tradition.

 

With the blessings of her esteemed Gurus, Saipriya is proud to present Nirupama’s Arangetram - the fifth student to reach this milestone at Shivam School of Dance.

 

An inaugural student of Shivam School of Dance, Nirupama’s Arangetram is both a celebration of her dedication and perseverance and reflection of the values, discipline, and love for Bharatanatyam that Saipriya strives to nurture in every student.