About Us
Strong. Active. Graceful.
"Alapadma" is an Indian classical dance school offering classes in Bharatanatyam and Mohiniyattam in the greater Seattle area since April 2013. The school was started by dancer Anuradha Samrat. Anu, a life-long learner, began her dance training at the age of 6 in Madras, now called Chennai, in India. Alongside Bharatanatyam classes from Kalasagara, (run by sisters Mrs.Malathy Thotadri and Mrs.Usha Raghavan, themselves disciples of Shri Adyar Lakshmanan), Anu also attended music classes with Mrs.Mayuravalli Srinivasan. Later, she continued her music lessons with Mrs.Savitri Satyamoorthy. While doing her Masters at Edwardsville, Illinois, Anu came across Mohiniyattam dancer Ms.Smitha Rajan and started learning from her. Being a trained dancer and a musician, Anu brings with her the ability to compose music for the pieces she choreographs. She continues her music journey with Dhrupad lessons from Shahana Dattagupta and dance lessons on specific topics from different, professional dancers.
Classes (group) are offered during the school year, currently at Redmond & Bothell. A few 1:1 classes are held at Bellevue.
Along with dancer-musician Vinod Menon, Anu has choreographed a recital titled "Shivah Shivaa". The music for the main piece in this recital was jointly composed with Vinod. This recital has been presented in Chicago, St.Louis, Seattle, USA, in Chennai, India and Berlin, Germany.
Anu is the recipient of the title "Natya Ratna" by the Trinity Arts Foundation, Chennai, in 2014.
Anu and her students at Alapadma have danced at various events and locations in the greater Seattle area, including:
World Rhythm festival (Seattle center, armory)
Northwest Folklife (Bagley-Wright theater; armory)
Seattle Asian art musuem
Seattle Art museum
Bothell Hindu temple
Renton festival
Consulate of India in Seattle