Saipriya was initiated into the art of Bharatha Natyam at the tender age of five, while living in Nigeria. Furthering her training in Sri Lanka she performed her Arangetram in 1992 at the age of ten. After migrating to Australia, Saipriya came under the tutelage of Anandavalli in 1993 as a student of the Lingalayam Dance Academy. Joining the Lingalayam Dance Company in 2001, the intervening years saw her blossom into a disciplined and dedicated dancer. Having received her initial training in Kuchipudi under Anandavalli, Saipriya was one of three dancers, who through the Australia Council Fellowship awarded to Anandavalli, was able to undertake intensive training in the fundamentals of Kuchipudi under Vempati Ravi Shankar at the Kuchipudi Art Academy in Chennai, South India. Saipriya was one of the main initiators and coordinators of Tarangini, a registered charity for fund raising, set up by five dancers of the Lingalayam Dance Company. In the restaging of the 2007 season of Earth & Fire, Saipriya took on the role of Draupadi - originally performed by her guru Anandavalli. An innate performer, Saipriya has been teaching at the Lingalayam Dance Academy for over seven years, utilising her years of dancing experience to successfully train a new generation of students. She has an intuitive ability for choreography and develops this aspect of her art while working with the Academy students & Company dancers on their various productions. She has completed a Medical Science/Business Degree at the University of Technology Sydney, and is currently a Medical Representative.
- ‹ previous
- 2 of 14
- next ›

