Read More about how Divya is shaping the future of Dance & Culture. DANCE and CHOREOGRAPHY Divya’s artistic roots lie in her Bharatanatyam having training under the revered Smt. & Sri Aravindan (Kalakshetra) and Karnataka Kalashree Guru Udupi Sri Laxminarayana. This classical foundation, imbued with her personal flair, has brought her performances to audiences from New York to Paris, Sydney to London, spellbinding global spectators. Expanding beyond Bharatanatyam, Divya embarked on a journey into Kathak, training under Smt. Jigyasa Giri and further honing her craft with masters like Smt. Gauri Sharma Tripathi, Smt. Kumudini Lakhia, and Smt. Aditi Mangaldas. Her Manch-Pravesh(Graduation-performance)| in Kathak as well was a showcase to her versatility across classical forms. Her work as a choreographer extends beyond her professional company works and the Indian/Asian Community to notably Trinity Laban Consevatoire of Music and Dance, London School of Contemporary Dance, National Youth Music Theatre (UK), University of Winchester among others. MUSIC and COLLABORATION Music, deeply ingrained in Divya’s life stems from her family. Divya grew up steeped in Carnatic Vocal music with her mother Smt. Booma Kasturi, being a renowned musician herself. Being vocally trained with maestros such as Prof. Dr. T.V. Gopalakrishnan, Smt. Janaky Ramanujan, and Chitravina Ganesh has shaped her into a concert-level vocalist, uniting the worlds of sound and movement in her artistic practice. Divya’s musical prowess has led her to collaborate with global legends, including Sir Paul McCartney, Maestro Ilayaraja, and Nitin Sawhney. These encounters across diverse musical landscapes have defined her as an artist who seamlessly bridges the classical and contemporary worlds, from the rhythms of Carnatic music to Western symphonies. TECHNOLOGY and INNOVATION A pioneer in integrating technology with traditional dance forms, Divya became the first South-Asian dance artist to use 3-D hologram technology in her performances. Her master’s dissertation set the record for pioneering the first virtual South Asian Dance Practice-as-Research M.A Dissertation (Roehampton University, London). Divya is also the first-of-her-kind to take Bharatanatyam into the world of Virtual Reality Headsets. Through her Eye/I Create which currently in its second phase of iteration! She is recently chosen as Time & Space Commission Artist with Sadlers Wells, London to continue further work into her ground-breaking innovations collaborating with Guildhall Production Studio (formerly Guildhall Live Events-Guildhall University), London. Her innovative approach has pushed the boundaries of performance arts and solidified her reputation as an artist unafraid to explore the future while staying rooted to the past. EDUCATION and CURATION In addition to her performances and choreography, Divya is a passionate educator. She founded DKC Young Talents to nurture future generations of Indian dancers and is a visiting faculty member at prestigious institutions such as Trinity Laban and The London School of Contemporary Dance. Her teaching, much like her performance, is an intricate balance of classical knowledge and modern exploration, fostering a deep respect for tradition while encouraging innovative thinking. Divya’s extended influence in India made her found SRINIDI Cultural Trust in 2005. Through SRINIDI , she curates an annual arts festival in Chennai, India, showcasing performances and nurturing an appreciation for the Indian Classical Arts every year since 2005! She is a recipient of Fellowship from Government of India, Department of Culture, an ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations) empanelled artist and an “A” Grade artist at Doordarshan (National Channel of India). In 2007, she was awarded Tamil Nadu State"s award title of #Kalaimamani". Some of the other titles received include: Natya Bhairavi, Yuva Kala Vipanchee, Nrithya Kala Sironmani, Yuva Kala Bharathi, Natya Selvam, Vani Kala Sudhakara, Natya Kala Priya, Nadanamamani, Natya Kalai Vani etc. THEATRE and TELEVISION As part of the award-winning British theatre company Complicité, she performed in the multi-award winning, acclaimed production A Disappearing Number, which toured internationally, including Broadway, London’s West End and National Theatre’s NT Live. She continues her choreographic prowess collaborating with other contemporary artists and companies. Divya has also made significant strides in Television. Working with major Indian channels like Sun Network, Jaya TV, Doordarshan, and Raj TV, she took on roles ranging from news reading and program anchoring to directing a children’s dance-learning series. Her contributions to the BBC’s Look East have extended her reach to a broader, international audience. ONGOING and FUTURE Divya’s lifelong commitment to learning continues with celebrated mentors like Smt. Nandini Ramani and Shri Mavin Khoo. Her recent selection as a Time & Space Artist with Sadlers Wells(London), QuestLab Artist at Studio Wayne McGregor (London), and participation in the Doing Dramaturgy course through South East Dance, UK, have deepened her explorations of dramaturgy in dance and performance. Her critically acclaimed one-woman show, To Varnam...With Love—which merged storytelling with classical forms—toured the UK, leaving audiences captivated by its depth and emotions. Following this success, she launched #OurVarnam, an international outreach project aimed at connecting global audiences to the intricate beauty of South Asian classical arts. Whether she’s on stage performing, in the studio teaching, or behind the scenes creating new work, Divya’s passion for dance, music, and innovation shines through. Her ability to break down barriers—whether cultural, disciplinary, or technological—makes her not just a dancer, but a true ambassador of the arts.