Rasika Khanna

Dancer

In 1957, Rasika, as a child, was initiated into the art of Bharatnatyam by the legendary Balasaraswarthy in Madras. She received her instruction from some of the most eminent gurus of Bharatanatyam.
She continued her training in Delhi under Smt. Lalitha Shastri who embodies the strict discipline of the Kalakshetra style and performed her Arangetram (debut) in 1971.
From 1973 to 1976 she got trained in Madras under Shri Adyar Lakshman with a scholarship and Smt. Kalanidhi Narayanan with a fellowship in dance.
She learnt the fine points of dramatic presentation from her present Guru Nana Kasar, Head of the Department of Bharatanatyam at Triveni Kala Snagam in New Delhi, who taught her for nineteen years.
Since 1971, Rasika, a versatile performer, has performed on many prestigious platforms, both in India and abroad.
Between 1972 and 1976, she performed at the Madras Music Academy, Krishna Gana Sabha, Mylapore Fine Arts Society and Kartik Fine Arts Society.
In 1976, she performed at the Tamil Isal Sangam in the annual All India Dance Festival and won the award for the best young Bharatanatyam dancer. In the same year, she also performed in Belgium, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Edinburgh and Paris.
In 1977, she performed for the Indian Music Society in Delhi, the National Centre for Performing Arts in Bombay and for Bombay Television.
In 1978, she was selected to perform at the second Annual Festival of Dance held at the Khajuraho temples and for the National Arts Festival of the Council of Creative Arts in Delhi.
In 1980, she toured Europe under the auspices of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and performed in Italy, Austria, Switzerland, England and France. In the same year, she also performed in Toronto for the dancers of the Canadian National Ballet.
In 1981-82, she performed for private audiences in Pakistan.
She has taken her art to the U.S., Europe, Canada, African countries and Pakistan.
In 1983, Rasika was awarded a Government of India Junior Research Fellowship to study "Padams" of the noted Telugu poet Kshetrayya.
Back in India, she has continued to perform in the premiere centres of Madras, Delhi and Bombay, for television in Hyderabad and also in the Chidambaram temple near Madras.
Having moved to Washington D.C., Rasika is continuing to teach and perform in North America.
At Present, Rasika lives in Mumbai.