Achievements

Honours, productions and the road so far

Almost four decades of performance, choreography, teaching and service to Indian classical arts.

Honours

Nearly four decades of dance, teaching and organising have brought Guru Shubha Dhananjay recognition from a university, cultural academies and community organisations in Karnataka, across India and abroad.

The honours below reflect the three roles she has played: a performer on stage, a teacher who has shaped generations of dancers, and a cultural organiser who brings people together through festivals and productions. They include an international fellowship from Montreal University in Canada, and several titles from her home state of Karnataka.

17awards and titles listed
10countries performed in
1international fellowship, Canada

Dancer as a many-armed goddess in a dance ballet

International

Recognition from beyond India.

FCHS Fellowship AwardMontreal University, Canada

Titles for dance

Honours that carry the name of dance itself: nrithya and natya.

Nrithya Saraswathi
Nrithya ShivaliMumbai
Nrithya NipunaKarnataka Nrithyakala Parishath
Natyarani Shanthala Award

Academies and organisations

Awards from cultural bodies and institutions.

Gnana SaraswathiGnana Mandara Academy
Ugadi PuraskaraKarnataka-Andhra Lalitkala Academy
GunanidhiGunagrahi
Aryabhata

From Karnataka

Titles from her home state and its communities.

Karnataka Jyothi
Vishwa Manya Kannadiga
Sri Kempegowda Award
Dr. Puttaraja Gawai Krupa Bhushana Award

Teaching, service and youth

For shaping students, serving society and early achievement.

Ideal Teacher Award
Samajarathna
Bengaluru Youth Award
National Youth AwardChennai and Lucknow

Dancer as the goddess on a richly decorated stage

Dancers in pink and lilac silk in a group pose

Group of dancers in teal costumes mid-performance

Awaiting Year and awarding body for each honour, certificates and media clippings

Dance ballets

Amrutha Mathana
Narakasura Vadhe
Kanmani Krishna
Hari Hara Milana-Ayyappa Janana
Swathanthrya Sambhrama
Radha-Madhava
Belli Chukki-Kittura Rani Chennamma
Sri Srinivasa Kalyana
Mysura Huli-Tipu Sultan
Devi
Ashtalakshmi
and many more.

Two dancers in a mythological duel scene from a ballet

Dancers performing before a deity set in a devotional ballet

Dancer seated on stage as the goddess before a Kannada backdrop

Awaiting Year, cast, venue and photos for each production

On stages around the world

United States
United Kingdom
United Arab Emirates
Bahrain
Maldives
Nepal
Iraq
China
Malaysia
Bali, Indonesia

Large ensemble of dancers across a decorated stage

Shubha has performed at international festivals in these countries and served as Cultural Ambassador in Bali. Her group choreographies include a massed performance of more than 550 dancers at Chinnaswamy Stadium for Suvarna Karnataka, and Dasara at Banni Mantapa Grounds in 2014.

In the media

Her performances and interviews have been telecast on almost all television channels. Natya Madhuri, a programme dedicated to classical dance on Sri Sankara TV, was conceptualised, directed and hosted by her.

Awaiting Newspaper clippings, interviews, reviews and YouTube links, with permission to publish

Our students

Students train rigorously in their chosen art, and the institute has trained rural talent free of cost so that the tradition reaches hundreds more.

Students and teachers folding hands in namaskara after a performance

Awaiting Verified student awards, results and certificates, with the student’s or guardian’s consent to publish

Come and meet us

Visit the institute, watch a class and talk to us about the right course.

Enquire about classes