A lot of people who watched a video that went viral of guru Manjula Ramaswamy teaching Bharatanatyam to her students thought she was a formidable and strict person. The reality is quite different. Ask her about her strict ways of teaching, and she just laughs it off, clarifying that she is only strict when it comes to dancing which is divine and must be done properly. The lady is more than just a guru to her students she is almost like a grandmother to them. Whether they have issues to personal life or professional dancing, she is there when they need her.
The 61-year-old Bharatanatyam teacher who started the Sri Rama Nataka Niketan dance academy along with her father guru V.S. Ramamoorthy has now been dancing for more than 48 years.
Her way of taking dance classes is a little different. She has a storehouse of dancing books and DVDs from which she gives lessons to her students. “I ask them to learn a few slokas and come, and my students are so disciplined that not one turns up unprepared for the class,” shares Manjula. And she continues, “Because of their constant support we have been able to take part in India’s Got Talent and Dance plus and I am very proud of them.” Manjula believes that her father’s grooming helps her balance personal and professional life. “Now, my life is all about my family, my students and specifically my parents who are 98 and 85 years old,” she says.
