 Jayashree Rajagopalan originally hails from a widely known and an esteemed family of artistes. She is regarded as the first of all disciple of the internationally acclaimed Indian danseuse, Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam. Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam has done extensive research on the 'ancient Indian texts like Natya Sastra and the temple sculptures'. Her researches have given a new magnitude to the Indian dance form. Jayashree, under her tutelage have imbibed all his beautiful style with its entire refinements. She has established herself as the best female spokesperson of her Guru's unique style, which is Bharat Nrithyam. Smt Leela Gopalan, her mother who was a disciple of Gopalkrishna Nattuvanar of Alwarthirunagari, Meenakshi Nattuvanar of Tiruchendur & E. Krishna Iyer was her first guru. Afterwards, she was under the guidance of Tanjore Janakaraman Nattuvanar and went through her Arangetram at the age of 8. After Padma Subrahmanyam she has been honored to be under the guidance of Guru Mahadev Raut and Kalamanadalam Amritam.
From the tender age of four, Jayashree was inducted into the art of dance. She perfectly exaggerated her art with strong and active practice, love and commitment. She has catered her audiences in almost all major cities and festivals all over India through her solo concerts and ballets. At the international festival held at Athens, at the Festival De La Mer at Mauritius and at Singapore she has performed her concert. She has bagged the unparallel exclusive right of representing India in France in the International summer Festival. She has demonstrated for major universities and organizations also. Jayashree Rajagopalan has been esteemed as a performing artiste of rare quality. Kavi Kalidasa's "Shakuntalam", the "Ramayana", excerpts from the Bhagvatam, the  "Dasavataram" and Rabindranath Tagore's work "Chandalika" are the dance dramas that she has choreographed and presented to cater the audience.
She has studied and gracefully finished the Nritya Visharad and the Nrithyashali. She has been specializing in the study of the 108 Karanas of Natya Sastra, which shaped the unit of dance movement in ancient India. Jayashree Rajagopalan also received specialized training in Nattuvangam. Nattuvangam is a form of 'conducting a classical dance performance by reciting rhythmic syllables and playing the cymbals' and make-up technique. This multi faceted personality also posses training in Indian Classical Music . She has also done her graduation in drawing and painting. She has done research on "Aharya Abhinaya". It is a subject, which deals with 'the external elements of communication like make-up, costume, jewellery, stage props and scenery' as described in the Natya Sastra. The Department of Culture, Govt. of India, has awarded her the Senior Research Fellowship, for a comparative study of 'Thirupugazhtalas of South India with the Manipuri tales of the East'. Today Jayashree's main aim is to propagate the ancient dramatic technique of the natya shastra known as (Marga), which was restored to consciousness by her Guru Dr. Padma Subhramanium, both nationally and globally. This would at the same time bridge the gap between the Marga and Desi (regional) forms of art; and it will automatically create better connectivity between them. She is always attempted to regenerate the pattern of ancient Indian Theatre, which is a symmetrical blend of dance, mime, music and dialogue through multilingual presentations. She ceaselessly tries to engage the 'Cross cultural exchange of ideas' in this creative process. Her main focus is to reach out to the people all over the world and from all walks of life.  'Nrithyodaya - the academy of performing arts has been established by Jayashree. The institution is founded in the year 1976 at Mumbai. It is a well-reputed institution in Bharata Nrityam. Successfully, this institution continues to train its students in a 'brilliant synthesis of Marga Technique of Indian Dance with the Desi technique of Bharatnatyam'. This creative dancer has created special musical structure for the Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada & Malayalam lyrics. In each structure, she has tried to blend the music & movements in order to create 'visual music', following her Guru's style. She has meliorated the Bharata Nrityam aggregated with Marathi Abhangs & Padams, Hindi Thumris & Bhajans, Gujarati Sastriya Pada and Lok Sangeet, Oriya geet, Bengali Rabindra Sangeet. To create a padavarna, which describes the meeting of Rama & Sita, climaxing in Seeta Swayamvara, Jayashree has altered chosen 'Doha' & Chaupayee from Tulsi Ramayan to a Varna Mettu. The uses of Adavus & Karanas contribute distinctiveness in choreography through vaktartha abhinaya just as the use of carnatic & Hindustani Ragas.
Jayashree has extensively researched and studied the 5th chapter of Natya Sastra. Her research ensued in the choreography of a Citra Purvaranga, which has been adapted in various dance dramas. Two significant aspects of the culture of Western India, ' The Mahavira Janmabhishek' - the birth of Tirtankara Mahavira, in Gujarati and Bhakta Sakha Vitthala, the episodes from the Varkari Sants of maharashtra, has been popularized through Jayashree's creation of Bharata Nrityam. She has composed and tuned different Pushpanjali, Kauthwam and Tillana and staged 'Abhijnana Shakuntalam', 'Kamayani', 'Bhakta Sakha Vitthala' & 'Chandalika' in the lines of ancient Indian Theatre. She has presented the quality of being united into one of the Desis through the medium of Bharata Nrityam, Odissi, Mohiniyttam, Kathak, Manipuri, Kuchipudi. She has also conducted 'Rajata Mahotsava', The Silver Jubilee celebration of nrithyodaya held in Mumbai. |
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Jayashree Rajagopalan
| Jayashree Rajagopalan, the illustrious dancer, ideally blended Bharatnatyam and other Indian dance forms. |
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