“Kalaimamani” Charulatha Jayaraman
“Kalaimamani” Charulatha Jayaraman is an outstanding award-winning performer and teacher in the field of Bharathanatyam. She is the founder and artistic director of Shrishti School of Performing Arts (or “Shrishti”) in Orange County, CA.
Charulatha Jayaraman is an award-winning performer, choreographer, and teacher in Bharatanatyam. She is the Founder and Artistic Director of Shrishti School of Performing Arts in Orange County, California. A disciple of Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Smt. Indira Rajan, Charulatha excels in nattuvangam and the Pandanallur style, known for her expressive clarity and elegant stage presence.
Her choreography blends classical rigor with creative storytelling — from epics to Indian fables. Notable works include Panchatantra, Kutrala Kuravanji, Radhaiyin Kadhal, Buddha Charitam, and Pandarpur Yatra. Charulatha has received titles like Abhinaya Ratna, Navarasa Natya Nayaki, Natya Thilakam, and Kalaimamani for her artistic excellence.
She has performed widely across India and abroad, with early training from Smt. Suba Parmar and Smt. Subhashini Chandrasekar. In 2002 she founded Shrishti in India and expanded it to the U.S. in 2008 as a non-profit organization to promote classical Indian arts. Shrishti offers in-depth Bharatanatyam training while nurturing students' spiritual, emotional, and artistic growth.
Through arangetrams, dance dramas, and community shows, Shrishti sustains classical dance as a vibrant, living tradition.Each year, the institution presents performances that support meaningful social and charitable causes.