WHAT UPAASANITES SAY
Kala Srinivasan
Director - Shanmukha Arts
Upaasana has been my maternal home and my Guru Smt Jayashree Nair not just my teacher, she has been my Mother and my best friend. Being in her shelter since the age of 4 has taught me not just dance but so many values of life. Upaasana will always be closest to my heart and my teacher forever my mentor in everything that I undertake. Parents are eternal and so is Upaasana.
Devi Prem Kumar Nair
Interior Designer
Om Gurubhyo Namaha
At the blessed feet of my Guru, I humbly prostrate myself.
Avidnyanam antas-timira-mihira dweepa-nagari || Jadanam chaitanya-stabaka-makaranda-shruti jhari || Daridranam cinta-mani -gunanika janma-jaladhau ||Nimadhanam damshtra mura-ripu-varahasya bhavati
Revered Shankaracharya sings in the Soundarya Lahari...
The dust under your feet, Oh Goddess great, Is like the city of the rising Sun,
That removes all darkness, unfortunate from the minds of the ignorant one,
Is like the honey that flows, from the flowers of vital action, To the slow witted one, is like the heap of wish giving gems,
To the poor man, is like the teeth of Lord Vishnu in the form of Varaha who brought to the surface the Mother Earth to those drowning in the sea of birth...
I would very humbly say that my Guru Smt. Jayashree Nair is the best known repository of the traditional performing arts of Bharata Natyam and Mohiniyattam. She holds you firmly by your hand and leads you into the bright light of knowledge and bestows on you her abundant knowledge. Teacher has been widely acclaimed for her in-depth knowledge, she has totally revolutionised choreography with her amazing innovative ideas, grace and technique... with a successful teaching career spanning half a century. 🙏🏼
All the students of Upaasana are known for their amazing Angashuddhi and graceful movements in their chosen style whether it’s Bharata Natyam or Mohiniyattam. My Teacher's constant words are that when you emote it should be from each and every cell of your body and that transforms into Abhinaya and your movements should flow seamlessly into one another... All students go through rigorous training where our Teacher constantly oversees it herself.
Teacher inspires all her students to put in their very best.
Sheer dedication, hard work and innovation are the sheer constants for my Teacher along with her love and warmth for all her students.
To consolidate our Teacher's legacy she is ably assisted by daughter and disciple Sujatha Nair who is very Beautiful, charismatic and very talented.
On birth the umbilical cord is severed but what emerges is a stronger mother and child bond. Such is the bond visible here. Many older students who have settled elsewhere or couldn’t pursue dance come back home to their Guru who lets you blossom slowly and steadily with her undying faith in you and your abilities allowing you to draw from her strength to learn and perform. Teacher inspires all of us to soar and reach great heights and yet remain rooted and humble
Irrespective whether you are 4 or 40 the attention to detail while you study is the same...
My humble and super talented Guru very humbly lays all her talent at the Lotus feet of Lord Guruvayoorappan 🙏🏼♥️
Pratibha Jagannathan
Pratigraha Natyalaya
My journey with Upaasana has spanned over 3 decades. I received so much more than just dance lessons. A bonding and camaraderie which has consistently supported me, is Upaasanas indisputable contribution to my life and dance. I started when I was 10 and the Upaasana family helmed by teacher and uncle have helped me evolve into the person I am today
Aarti Naidu
Project Manager at PromoVeritas,
London
Upaasana has been akin to a place of worship for me where I have spent my most formative years, and these are also the best years of my life. All the knowledge and skills that I gained through my classes in the initial days have laid a rock-solid foundation for my progress and further learning. Upaasana has unlocked the treasure trove that our Indian culture is and has taught me some very important morals and life lessons that have helped me grow not just as a dancer but as a person. None of this would be possible without our founder, and torchbearer, our anchor of support and godmother Guru Smt. Jayashree Nair. Her experienced and caring eye knows what suits a particular dancer and her tailor-made approach to teaching helps students become the best version of themselves. She pushes you when she knows you are capable of more but also recognizes when you are not ready. Jayashree teacher puts tremendous faith in her students and that has made me believe in myself more and give my one hundred percent in practice routines. The rigidity and structure in Bharatanatyam, both physical and emotional, requires an endurance that is otherwise hard to master without the guidance of an experienced mentor. Jayashree teacher has taught me to be disciplined in a way that Bharatanatyam has now become a way of life for me. As I live in the UK, the only way for me to continue my training at Upaasana was online classes and I am so grateful that teacher makes herself readily available for feedback and encourages me to push my boundaries and strive for perfection despite being so far away. I am forever indebted to Upaasana for everything it has given me, and to Jayashree teacher for being a constant source of inspiration.
Sandhya Iyer
Artistic Director
Anjali Performing Arts - USA
I have been a part of Upaasana family since its inception. Upaasana is a second home for me. I am truly blessed to have been under the tutelage of Teacher who has and will always be a constant in my life, a friend, guide, a second mother who has instilled in me discipline , passion, perseverance and respect for dance precious life-lessons which I continue to work on today. I am eternally grateful for my cherished experience with Upaasana.
Rajani Jayan
DGM , Times of India
It has been my good karma/fortune to be inducted into dance at the age of 8 with teacher, Smt Jayashree Nair. Got to participate in some of the best ballets choreographed by Upaasana. There was a gap of about 17 or so years in between where I got busy with bringing up my daughter, career, home front etc. But the day I joined back alongwith my daughter, it felt like I was that 8 year girl dancing in front of the teacher. Today, my daughter who is a Doctor may be slightly busy with her studies but I have continued.If anyone thinks that it is too late to get back to dance, rethink. It is sheer joy to run to class, sometimes after office hours and learn something new and of course, Teacher will push you and give you the confidence that nothing is impossible. The added advantage of dancing with the younger crowd is you get to imbibe their enthusiasm.
The one thing I can vouch for is how important it is to have a hobby in one's life. Life brings its own travails but engaging oneself meaningfully allows one to face such difficult situations. For this alone, I would urge each one to go back and pick up the threads or start afresh and what better than Upaasana to hold your hands.a
Swati Subramanian
Management Trainee - Reliance Retail
Learning in Upaasana under the guidance of Gurus Smt.Jayashree Nair and Smt. Sujatha Nair has been a blessing for me. Their teachings give immense happiness to my body and soul. Its been a year for me and i believe that it is a wonderful place one can start learning.
Preetham SebastianProprietorAngel Dance and Music Academy., (MSME Regd.)Mumbai
Since childhood, I am being trained for classical dance style Bharatnatyam and Mohiniyattam at
Upaasana Akademy of Fine Arts under Guru Smt. Jayashree Nair. My second home and
blessed to be a part of it.
The immense training right from uttering the Prayers, toning of body with mediation, exercise,
Adavus, Nritta and Natya changed me unknowingly, turned to passion and gradually started
passing on the knowledge to the next generation since last 26 years. This could happen only
because of Upaasana’s deliverance of practical and theoretical knowledge.
During the course of my journey, it was a blessing for me & my students to do Arangetram
under “Upaasana”.
Upaasana always encouraged me to enhance my knowledge attending workshops of eminent
artist at various intervals; Ms. Shobana Balachandran, Dr. Jayashree Rajagopalan
(Bharathnirtha), Mrs. Padmini Rajagopalan, Kalamandalam Guru Smit. Kshemavathy
(Mohiniyattam), Guru Smt. Rama Vaidayanathan, Guru Dr. Rajashree Warrier.
My Guru Smt. Jayashree Nair is a Gem, an inspiration to all young and old artist.
Maya Hariharan
Public Relations (Taj Group & Jet Airways)
When I was at the age of 44 , I would see a few toddlers from my building going to a Bharatnatyam dance class . When I saw them enjoying ,it motivated me to join the same Bharatnatyam class . Jasyashree Nair is the teacher who runs the Upaasana dance academy . She always encouraged and motivated me . I was the only lady in that batch among tiny toddlers but I never felt old dancing in her batch. Whenever I found difficulty in doing a particular step , she would change it into a simpler step that was easier for all . She always brought out the best in me. In fact she had more confidence in me than I had In myself . I learnt Bharatnatyam from her for 10 years. Those tens years with her were really fun and I enjoyed a lot with her .
Anisha Ramdas
Content Developer, Byju’s The Learning App
I started learning dance at Upaasana at the age of 6 under the guidance of my Teacher, Smt. Jayashree Nair. Teacher has always supported and guided me at every step, teaching me more than just dance, but also the importance of imbibing good values. She has always emphasized that, to succeed, it is important to be good at heart. Even after I moved out of Mumbai to pursue my higher studies, Teacher welcomed me back every time I came to dance class during vacations. I will always be grateful to Upaasana and Teacher for introducing dance into my life.
Gitanjali Parida
Lead Consultant ,
Sixpence Consultants
Namo Sri Guru Padukabhyam
Upaasana is an integral and important part of me. I stepped on Upaasana soil when I was 4 years old. Little did I realise then that I am entering a world that would change me forever. Clinging to the folds of my mother’s saree , I was handed over to Teacher and in my Guru I found another parent.
Under her tutelage my life changed: as a child it began as respect, fear and adulation for Teacher. I remember my starry eyes when teacher would dance to show us a new step or the Abhinaya, my world would stop then and to this day when teacher shows the Abhinaya my world stops. I am still as mesmerised now as I was then.
I can’t stop admiring how effortlessly Teacher creates narratives through dance. Her choreography weaves together intricate tales and presents an enthralling story the likes of which I am yet to witness elsewhere. I had to take an unfortunate hiatus from dance for about 15 years but with Teacher’s encouragement I am back to Upaasana and am so glad. In these 15 years I must have met many Gurus but only with Teacher and Upaasana I find the connection that will remain forever.
Swarupini Srinath, 19
Law Student,
Government Law College, Mumbai
Learning dance at Upaasana is a wonderful experience thanks to the guidance and expertise of Jayashree teacher and Sujatha teacher; which comes from their own amazing dedication to the Art. The environment is very warm, friendly and welcoming and we are not just taught how to dance but also how to cultivate good values and reverence. But the best part of all is the amount of love, joy and laughter that is shared here. This makes learning a most fun and enjoyable process!
When I joined Upaasana, I had moved to a new city and was rejoining dance class after a short break that I had taken due to academics despite having learnt since a very young age. This had made me lose touch with dance a lot. But through the training provided to me here with the utmost love and care, in no time I was able to pick up and improve and even perform on stage, within a year. From the dancing techniques, to abhinaya, theory and the deep, inner meaning of the dance items themselves; the gurus at Upaasana will help you learn, grow and transform; and blossom into a beautiful dancer.
I feel very fortunate to have found Upaasana dance academy and to be learning dance here from Jayashree teacher and Sujatha teacher
Radhika Narayan
I started learning dance with Jayashree teacher when I was 6 years old. From that moment,I knew I had found my passion. To me, it was escape into a world of stories and fantasy. Jayashree teacher would teach us how to invoke every emotion and translate that into expression so beautifully. To her, we were not just her students; we were her children. I remember how during our ballet rehearsals, we would spend the whole day at her house and she would feed us and entertain us. I have the fondest memories with everyone from dance class. She taught me not just spirituality and culture, but also how to be empathetic and a better human being. I had my Arangetram in 2005 and Jayashree teacher and her daughter Sujata, who we all know as Suju chechi spent hours not just training me for it, but also taking care of every aspect of the program for us. I am eternally grateful to her for everything she has done for me and for helping make me the person I am today. With every new generation of students, I am thrilled to see our Upaasana family grow from strength to strength.
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Manasi Sontake
Name, Title
When I was introduced to Guru Jayashree Nair I was already presenting Bharatanatyam at a professional level. In fact I had undergone training in the Thanjavur style so it was pretty tough for me to adapt to her style. But teacher was generous. Instead of insisting on moulding me into her way of presentation; she permitted me to pick up what best I could and integrate it with what I had learnt previously. I was saved the tedious process of unlearning what was pre-impressed upon me. I would have probably given up and found another way if she would not have been accommodating.
It was a long journey from where I resided to her house where she taught me on a one to one basis. My lunch was invariably with her family. I relished their traditional Malayalee cuisine. Especially the herb infused water. It was an altogether novel introduction for me. I was fascinated. And the best was refreshing green tea (with lemon-tulsi-honey) after the exhausting practice sessions; that was a specialty of teacher’s husband (“Uncle” as all fondly call him)
Teacher’s daughter who is now an accomplished dancer singer was then a young girl. But we soon became friends. She later provided vocal accompaniment to my performances. We have enjoyed our trips to various cities and towns in India that we visited as a part of my Bharatanatyam presentations.
I later secured admission for post-graduation in Pune University and my visits to teacher’s house reduced. But we never lost touch. I can never forget the whole hearted support I received from all three of them during my students’ Arangetrams.
I no longer perform or teach dance but the bond that was developed during those years will continue to stay forever. Those lovely days have a special place in my heart and I cherish their memories dearly. I am indebted to them for the love they showered. And offer my obeisance to their unflinching dedication towards preservation and promotion of arts and culture.
Seema & Kiara
Name, Title
Upasana has been a dream come true for me. I had gone for my daughter's admission when Jayshree teacher asked if I would like to join. I never thought I could learn at this point in life but teacher gave me the confidence and I could fulfill my dream of learning a little bit of the beautiful art (and many other moms like me). In Upasana, children learn patience and discipline. They also get to know the guru shishya bonding, our ancient and rich culture and tradition, the respect we need to show our gurus and elders, and many such values which is slowing diminishing in our society. Jayshree teacher and Sujata teacher both have been extremely caring towards their desciples and are very devoted towards their art, always striving to give their best. This family is a beautiful gurukul in itself. We consider ourselves blessed to be a part of Upasana.