Mr K. P. Bhaskar, the President and Artistic Director of Nrityalaya Aesthetics Society, is the pupil of great dancers like Uday Shankar, Guru Gopinath and Kutralam Ganesam Pillai. He also studied Kathakali from Gurus Karippuzha Kuttan Pillai and Eavoor Raman Pillai, also in Singapore from Madhavan Pillai and Sadanandan Pillai. He learned Manipuri dance from Guru Ambobi Singh and Kathak dance from Guru Bolonath. He learned Ballet from Lyra Belgresty, a white Russian who was a contemporary of the great Anna Pavlova and later settled in Bangalore. He has also learned Kandian Dance in Sri Lanka and attended Malay and Chinese dance classes in Singapore.
Mr. Bhaskar has performed all over Asia, America, Australia and Europe. After working for Uday Shankar's dance film Kalpana, he joined the Nataraja Shakunthala dance troupe in Madras and worked at the Gemini Studios as assistant Dance Director. During the Second World War he entertained the Indian Army in Middle East and Africa. While working in Sri Lanka he was invited to go to Australia and during that trip he came to Singapore.
At the request of the Indian Community, Mr Bhaskar gave a three-month course to Singaporeans and performed with them many times in Singapore and all over Malaysia. Later he established Bhaskars' Academy of Dance in 1952 in Singapore with branches in many parts of Malaysia. In 1956, his wife, Santha, joined him and he brought other dance teachers to assist him in Malaysia.
With the help of his wife, who is also a very good dancer and choreographer, Bhaskars' Academy of Dance gave hundreds of performances in Malaysia and Singapore. After Singapore's separation from Malaysia, they concentrated on their work in Singapore. Mr Bhaskar has been an active participant in the Government's efforts for the cause of cultural developments in Singapore since 1952.
He was an active member of the Arts Council in the Colonial Government and the semi-independent governments. When the PAP Government came to power, Mr Bhaskar was appointed as a member of the People's Association and the National Theatre Trust until 1986. He was the Chairman of the first Dance Advisory Committee under the Ministry of Culture.
He was the head of a Cultural mission to India in 1962/63 at the invitation of Indian Government and visited most of the important cultural organizations and institutions in India. During the three months' tour there as a guest of the Indian Government, Mr Bhaskar was also the head of the Indian Section of the Cultural Delegation to Borneo and to Kuala Lumpur.
Under Bhaskar's Academy of Dance and later under Nrityalaya Aesthetics Society, Mr Bhaskar has toured and participated in Indonesian festivals twice and in Ramayana Festivals at Bangkok, Thailand, at Angkor Wat in Cambodia, and in India. His dance group has also gone to Japan and Australia. Many graduates of his society are now practising dance in Japan, Australia, Germany, America and even in India. In 1999 the Indian Council for Cultural Relations invited his "Ramayana" dance drama to be presented in various cities in North and South India, including Ayodhya, the holy city said to be the birthplace of Lord Rama. In 2004, he took a Tamil production of Kathakali to Chennai and Trivandrum.
Mr. Bhaskar and his organisation have presented about 120 Arangetrams (debut performances to mark graduation in dance), over a hundred full productions and many hundreds of charity performances. His dance group was invited to perform year after year at the Prime Minister's National Day Rallies and for many visiting dignitaries at the Istana. Mr Bhaskar was in the committee of many cultural bodies including the Kreta Ayer People's Theatre, National Theatre Trust, National Theatre Club, Singapore Arts Federation and Singapore Kathakali Yogam of which he was the president for 20 years.
Besides being the President of Nrityalaya Aesthetics Society where about 3000 students learn various arts, he is also the Chairman of Bhaskar's Arts Academy, the only professional Indian dance company in Singapore carrying the distinction of recognition by the Government under the National Arts Council's Annual Grant Scheme. Bhaskar's Arts Academy is another non-profit organisation he has established and under it, an art gallery and a Kathakali dance troupe are functioning at present apart from the organisation of various productions.
He has written 3 books on Indian dance and contributed many articles in art magazines and papers at national and international conferences. Mr Bhaskar has written scripts and presented many solo performances and dance dramas for television including a 13-part series "Bharata Natyam" and a 26-part series named "Aspects of Indian Dance".
Mr. Bhaskar has been bestowed with many prestigious awards in India, Malaysia and Singapore including the Pingat Jasa Gemilang (PJG) from the President of Singapore, the only performing arts artiste given this highest honour, and "Natya Kalanidhi" from the renowned poet Sudhananda Bharathiar. He was awarded the "Kala Vipanchee" title by the prestigious MBK Trust in Chennai in 1999 and the "Nritya Shiromani" title by Pracheen Kala Kendra in Chandigarh in 2003.
Asa Yoga expert, he has learned meditation directly from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and studied at the Teachers' Training Course in the Himalayas. He learned Hatha Yoga from Guru Gopalakrishna and disciples of Bihar School of Yoga and breathing techniques from Guru Suryathejas.

Santha Bhaskar is a graduate of the Chempakassary Arya Kala Nilayam in Kerala and a student of the late Ramunni Panicker, Guru Kunchu Kurup and Kutralam Ganesam Pillai. Under these masters, she mastered Mohini Attam, Bharatanatyam and Kathakali. She also holds a diploma in Karnatic music from the Tamil Nadu Government.
Joining her husband in Singapore in 1956, she taught and choreographed at Bhaskar's Academy of Dance, now known as Nrityalaya Aesthetics Society. Santha is well known for her contributions to the development of Indian classical dance in Singapore and Malaysia. She has also studied traditional Chinese and Malay dance in Singapore, Thai dance and music at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok and Odissi dance at the Rabindra Bharati University in Kolkata. Besides dance and music she has had training in theatre studies.
For her outstanding services and contributions to the arts scene in Singapore, she was awarded the prestigious Cultural Medallion in 1990.
In addition, the "Natya Kalanidhi" award by the great poet Sudhananda Bharathiyar in 1957, "Kala Rani" award by Indian Film Arts Society and "Kala Ratnam" award by the Singapore Fine Arts Society, are a few of the other awards she has received for her brilliant work in this field. She has conducted more than 100 Arangetrams for which she has composed many 'Margams', specially designed for each individual dancer. She also has choreographed more than 50 programmes for television.
Her unique interpretation of traditional and modern dance idioms has resulted in many of her dance productions like Ramayana and Manohra which have made her a well-known choreographer in this region. The dance drama Manohra which fused Indian and Thai dance gained attention at the 1996 Singapore Arts Festival, while her interpretations of the Ramayana epic won acclaim at the Angkor Wat International Ramayana Festival in 1995 and at the Ramayana Festival in India in 1999. Her prolific output also includes the ongoing Aum Muruga series and the more recent Rasa & Dhwani at the Esplanade in 2003, where she set verses by Singaporean poets in all four official languages to dance.
Presently, she teaches at the Nrityalaya Aesthetics Society and at the Centre for the Arts, National University of Singapore. She is also resident choreographer at the Centre, for which she has choreographed its Sanskrit drama in English, Shakuntala of the Mahabharata in 2002. She has also written many articles on dance for seminars and performing arts magazines.

Ambujah was introduced to the sacred art of Bharatanatyam by Ms Kavitha Daran, a student of Mr & Mrs Santha Bhaskar. Later Ambujah joined Nrityalaya Aesthetic Society to continue her pursuit in Bharatanatyam. Ambujah's Arangetram (debut performance) was conducted in 1993. Ever since there has been no turning back for this devoted and committed dancer. She is currently a Bharatanatyam teacher in Nrityalaya Aesthetics Society. 
She has played pivotal roles in many major productions of Nrityalaya and Bhaskar's Arts Academy. She participated in Kumara Sambhavam I and Kumara Sambhavam IV. She and her friends performed in Sadhana, a dance recital dedicated to her guru. Ambujah has also been well received for her captivating performance in a Kutrala Kuravanji dance drama in Johor Bahru. Her short stint in Sabah, where she both performed and choreographed dance items for students was highly commended by the press. 
Ambujah has also performed in different states in North and South India, Cambodia as well as Indonesia. Her performances in these countries have been well received. Her majestic and stunning portrayal of the demon king Ravana and emotional portrayal of the demure and vulnerable Sita in Ramayana dance dramas were highly acclaimed. The opportunity to perform Parinaamam ("Ramayana Part II" by Bhaskar's Arts Academy) in the state of Ayodhya in India, known as the very birthplace of Rama, was an unforgettable experience for Ambujah. Her recent performance in the Sanskrit drama Vikramorvasiyam, directed by theatre doyen Kavalam Narayana Panikkar, chairman of India's national arts body Sangeet Natak Akademi, where she performed the lead role Urvasi, was well received by the local audience. Ambujah has been conferred the title of 'Nritya Kala Nipuna' and given the Postgraduate Certificate Of Honours for her contributions in the field of dance by Nrityalaya Aesthetics Society.

A post graduate of Nrityalala,Gayathri initially began her studies in Bharata Natyam at the age of four under the tutelage of Mr & Mrs KP Bhaskar. Gayathri has performed in many Nrityalaya productions including; "Manohra," "Parinaamam," & "Pancha Tantra." She has made her way onto the television screen in programmes such as "Bharatha Chudar" & "Aadellennum Jeevanadhi" as well. Gayathri's participation in Classical Indian dance has taken her around the world where she has performed in productions and festivals.She took the part of "Shakuntala" in National University's Mega production Shakuntalam. She is teaching Bharatha Natyam at Nrityalaya Aesthetics Society.

Shivashni started to learn dance at the age of four under the tutelage of Mr&Mrs Bhaskar. She participated in many major productions of Nrityalaya Aesthetics society and Bhaskar's Arts Academy. She took on the role of Muruga in Kumara Surubhavam (1993), and had also performed as the golden deer in a Chinese Opera production by the Opera Society (1998). She was part of the troupe which performed 'Manohra in Tamil Nadu and Kerala (1998); Ramayana (1999) in Indian cities (Delhi, Ayodhya, Bhopal etc..); and 'Ramayana' in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Ipoh (2002). She also took part in 'Pancha Tantra' staged in 1995. She is currently teaching Bharatha Natyam at Nrityalaya Aesthetics Society.

Biju S. Pillai is an excellent choice as a performer, choreographer and instructor in the art of Kathakali dance. He had his education at Kerala Kala Mandalam, the topmost institution of Kathakali in India and received his post diploma Certificate there, after 6 years of intensive study. He was sponsored by the Cultural Centres at Tanjavur and Calcutta to participate in the Island Tourism Festival in 1996. Biju took the main roll in the great classical- Drama Vikramovashiyam under Bhaskar's Academy of Dance directed by Kavalam Narayana Panicker. At present, he is teaching Kathakali Dance at Nrityalaya Aesthetics Society and hails as the only artiste of this highly individualized art form in Singapore and the region.

S K Santhosh is a graduate from Keral Kala Rangam, India and is a reputed Kathakali dance artiste. He has taken part in our Kathakali shows last year and has accompanied our troupe to Bali. His inclusion as a Kathakali Artiste will strengthen our ability to put more Kathakali shows in future.

Kalamandalam Prasad was born in Alleppey, Kerala and graduated in Kathakali acting after six years of training at the topmost Kathakali institution, Kerala Kalamandalam, where he has also received an award as Best Student. He has many years of experience performing at various temple festivals in India and has also given performances and workshops in Austria, Germany and Italy, not to mention special shows such as for Miss World pageant. He has also been visiting tutor in Kathakali for Bangalore University.