Rasarang School of Performing Arts Welcome to Rasarang!
Rasarang School of Performing Arts was founded in 1997 with a passionate vision to bring traditional Indian dance to audiences across the world. Over many inspired years, Rasarang evolved under the creative leadership of the renowned danseuse Poornima Risbud.
Rooted in the Indian dance tradition of Bharathanatyam, Rasarang is constantly exploring new creative ways to surface the true essence of Indian dance. It has evolved its own distinctive style of presentation by fusing ethnic and modern genres of dancing. Its musical compositions are a confluence of traditional Indian classical music and a wide range of global music, including Jazz, and World Music. Each dance composition is carefully crafted with intricate detailing in synchronization, choreography patterns, thematic costumes and suitable light & stage effects
From a purely performance oriented entity Rasarang evolved into a company that engages in a wide range of dance-oriented activities. Beyond active performances, the Company offers regular training in traditional Indian Dances. Under the expert tutelage of Poornima Risbud, budding talent is nurtured, skills are carefully tailored, turning the learning of dance into an enjoyable experience.
Under Poornima's guidance, many of her students have completed their 'Rangapravesha': a solo dance debut signifying the culmination of the initial training of the dancer. It also means that the dancer can now formally enter the stage as a solo artist.
Rasarang is a registered Non-Profit organization (501(3)(c)). Tax ID is 20-3500876
Guru Poornima Risbud is an exponent in Bharatanatyam. She has trained under Natyakala Prapurne Smt. Nirmala Manjunath of Bangalore, India. She has also learnt Kathak, another Indian classical dance form, from Smt. Maya Rao. Poornima has earned Vidwat in Bharatanatyam. A versatile artiste, Poornima has choreographed and performed in several solo dance recitals both in India and in the US. Poornima, along with some of her senior students, participated in Krishna - A Dance Ballet, a fund raiser for Vision Aid. She has directed many Kannada language plays, and has conducted dance workshops. She has choreographed dance items for musicales at the Riverside Theatre Works of Hyde Park, MA. 
An ancient dance form that has its roots as a temple art and is based on the principles codified in Natyashastra. Bharatanatyam has since evolved into a rich and vibrant amalgamation of dance traditions. It is popularly defined by its acrostic rendering as Bha for Bhava (sentiment) Ra for Raaga (melody) Ta for Taala (rhythm) that merge in Natyam or dance. It exhibits three main components, Nritta, Abhinaya, and Nritya. Nritta, a pure dance form, embodies abstract body movements marked by intricate footwork and sculpturesque poses; exuberant leaps and bends that contrast with subtle neck and eye movements. Abhinaya, a vocabulary of hand gestures and facial expressions, is used to interpret the lyrical content of a song. Nritya, combining Nritta and Abhinaya, creates the narrative that inspires both the dancer and the viewer.