A Life Between the Arts and the Academy
An artiste, scholar and teacher who has spent over twenty years preserving the integrity of two great traditions.
Assistant Professor
Department of Performing Arts & Cultural Studies
Jain (Deemed-to-be) University, Bangalore
From Kalakshetra to the international stage.
Dr. Priyashri V Rao is an alumna of two world-renowned institutions — the Kalakshetra Foundation, Chennai (founded by the legendary Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale) and the Department of Indian Music, University of Madras. Holding a Post-Graduate Diploma in Bharatanatyam (First Class), an MA in Carnatic Music with a Gold Medal & First Rank, an MPhil and a PhD, she occupies a rare place at the confluence of two great classical traditions.
She underwent advanced training in composition and choreography under the renowned Nrtya Choodamani-s Sri M V Narasimhachari and Smt. Vasanthalakshmi Narasimhachari, and continues to hone her vocal artistry under Smt. Mangalam Shankar, Chennai. A B-grade artiste of All India Radio and a graded Doordarshan artiste, Priyashri has presented solo concerts and Bharatanatyam recitals at prestigious sabhā-s across India and abroad.
As an academician, she serves as Assistant Professor at the Department of Performing Arts and Cultural Studies, JAIN (Deemed-to-be) University, where she is a member of the Board of Studies and the Board of Examiners. She is currently guiding five PhD scholars and has supervised over 80 Master’s dissertations in dance and music.
Recipient of the prestigious Laasya Sadhaki award (2020), the HRD Ministry Scholarship, the Tamil Nadu Iyal Isai Nataka Manram Scholarship and the UGC Junior Research Fellowship, she has carried the parampara to Singapore, Canada, Thailand, Mauritius, Réunion, Sri Lanka, South Africa, the United Kingdom and Oman.
Through Kalasampurna, the institution she heads in Bangalore, Priyashri continues the lineage — mentoring a new generation of dancers and musicians and offering them a hands-on experience of the traditional concert platform.
Pillars of a Career
University of Madras
Jain (Deemed-to-be) University
Foundation Alumna
Scholar & NET qualified
Performer & Faculty
Graded Artiste