Guru Sujatha Manjigani

Sujatha Manjigani, initially trained under Guru Smt. Choodamani Rao, before finding her dance home with Guru Smt. Padmini Ravi. She performed in several programs, in Bangalore, Mysore and Vijayawada including many times at Ganapathi Sacchidananda Swamy-ji’s ashram as a young student. Sujatha was part of “Satyam-Shivam”, a flag-ship production of her Guru Padmini Ravi, that toured around in Karnataka.

Sujatha founded Shakti Dance Academy, teaching the Vazhuvoor style of Bharatanatyam, with a purpose to instill a love of this art form in children and adults alike, with a specific focus on holistic learning. She brings additional breadth and depth to her curriculum through regular workshops from senior artists in India, continuing the rich heritage of her grand-guru - Guru K.J. Sarasa’s approach, to wholesome learning and community partnerships.

Sujatha and her students regularly perform at the Nuvyug, TACGA, CTA, NATYA, Hindu Center, and Festival of India celebrations. Her students have participated in the Asian (Dragon Boat) Festival, Charlotte Shout, Charlotte Vision Awards, Taste of Charlotte, and NCAAT, incorporating this art form into the community events in and around Charlotte.

Sujatha trains her students for the SAMPADA Bharatanatyam Certification program offered by Silicon Andhra, affiliated with the Potti Sriramulu University of Andhra Pradesh. Over 20 students will be taking their exams in 2026, among which 10 students have completed Junior Level and more than 6 getting ready to complete their Senior Level certification.

Sujatha believes that she is a learner for life and continues her training under her Guru to this day.

Aside from her dance life, Sujatha has a day job at a financial services company in Charlotte, and is a proud mother of two.