Philosophy


Summer Camp
"When people create in sounds, images, gestures, and words, they discover ways to shape and share their thoughts and feelings with others. All students deserve access to the arts through creation, performance and study."

- Illinois Learning Standards,
Fine Arts, State Board of Education

School Info

Natya Dance Theatre proudly celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.
The NDT school was established in 1975 by Hema Rajagopalan with the sole purpose of propagating the classical dance form Bharatanatyam. Bharatanatyam, the leading classical dance form of India, has existed for two millennia and has been established as a key component of India’s modern identity as a nation. Its artists and their guru-teachers have developed and adapted the form to contemporary stages by both invoking past knowledge and provoking creative aesthetic dialogues. Like most of Indian culture, Bharatanatyam has added onto its earlier styles rather than replacing them. This evolutionary process means that the purely spiritual, the traditions of the classical and the spirit of the modern coexist. Thus Bharatanatyam affects its audiences and its contexts in several ways. For some, it’s an approach to the divine, like Darshan (seeing the divine) in a Hindu temple. For others it is a discipline, a formal presentation which has both scope and boundaries. For other people Bharatanatyam is a basis for projecting and understanding ourselves in our own times.

The objectives of the NDT school are:
  1. To enrich the lives of individuals from diverse backgrounds. In this way this classical dance becomes a catalyst in building stronger communities.
  2. To instill in the minds of both young and old alike a sense of value not only for Bharatanatyam dance, but also a deeper sense of respect for the culture.
  3. To teach a new generation the true sprit of this art form preserved in its pristine purity
  4. To work towards a deeper sense of appreciation for all the arts devoid of national, religious or ethnic barriers.


The school of Natya Dance Theatre offers ongoing training for beginner through advanced levels in the classical dance form of India - Bharatanatyam. NDT’s students, ages four and above, take part in annual recitals and performances. Apart from regular classes, we offer an annual summer dance camp which is open to dancers from around the USA. For more information on the school and curriculum, please call Program Coordinator Bill Jordan 312-212-1240 or send us an email at bill@natya.com.


The classes are offered at the following locations :

Lombard
Creative Montessori Learning Center
550 South Edgewood Ave.
Lombard
IL 60148

Naperville
Naperville Gymnastics Club
1743 Quincy Ave.
IL 60540

Willmette

Downtown Chicago
Lou Counte Studios
1147 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago

Gurnee