Every day begins before dawn at Rasika. While most of Malleswaram is still asleep, the lights are already on inside the academy on 18th Cross. By 3:30 a.m., Sandhya and Kiran Subramaniyam are awake, preparing for another day that has revolved around dance for over four decades. 

Their journeys began independently before converging in the dance class of Guru Padmini Ravi on 19th Cross. Kiran, who grew up in Malleswaram in a family immersed in music and the arts, initially trained in mridangam before his parents encouraged him to pursue dance despite there being very few male Bharatanatyam dancers at the time. Sandhya, raised in neighbouring Rajajinagar, had been dancing from a young age before joining Guru Padmini Ravi during college. It was there that they met, eventually deciding to make dance not only their profession but also the foundation of their life together.

The early years demanded conviction as much as talent. At a time when male dancers were often met with prejudice and professional opportunities were limited, Kiran chose to leave behind the certainty of an engineering career to pursue dance full-time. Together, the couple taught at multiple centres across Bengaluru before establishing Rasika Academy of Performing Arts. Named after their daughter—who has also gone on to become a dancer—the academy has grown into a nurturing space for generations of students while remaining the heart of the couple's artistic practice.

Over the years, the Kirans have performed extensively across India and abroad, presenting Bharatanatyam on some of the country's leading stages. Together the duo have created original choreographic works including Maanini, Tandava, Bha Ra Tha Pallavi, Sharavana Bhava and Parivartan. They are Doordarshan-graded artistes, have been empanelled by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the Ministry of Culture, and have received numerous honours, including the Karnataka Kalashree, Nritya Ratna, Nartaka Award and Ananya Puraskaar.

What perhaps defines the Kirans most is their relationship with creativity. Despite decades of experience, they resist treating choreography as something that can be manufactured on demand. Ideas are allowed to arrive in their own time—sometimes in the middle of the night, sometimes even in the middle of a performance. Their process combines rigorous preparation with an openness to intuition, reflecting a belief that while discipline can be practiced, inspiration must be welcomed rather than forced. 

It is difficult to leave Rasika without remembering the people as much as the dancers. Kiran speaks with the same animation that fills his choreography, his expressive eyes lighting up with every story, while Sandhya's grounded warmth brings a quiet sense of calm to every conversation. In many ways, Rasika feels like an extension of the couple themselves—warm, welcoming, quietly elegant, and shaped by the same discipline, dedication and care that have guided their work for over four decades. 

In conversation with Sandhya and Kiran Subramanyam

How did you both begin your journey in dance?

Kiran: I come from a family of musicians and artists. One of my aunts was a dancer, so the arts were always part of our family. I first learnt mridangam, but my parents felt I was well suited for dance. At that time there were very few male Bharatanatyam dancers, so I was hesitant, but they encouraged me. I began training under Guru Padmini Ravi, and that's where my dance journey started.

Sandhya: I grew up in Rajajinagar and had been learning dance from a young age under Guru Meenakshi in Sadashivnagar. During college I joined Guru Padmini Ravi's classes in Malleswaram, and that's where Kiran and I met.

You both grew up nearby. What do you remember about Malleswaram?

Kiran: I've lived in Malleswaram since 1972 and studied at Kendriya Vidyalaya Malleswaram from first standard. Back then it was called Kadu Malleswaram—'kadu' means forest in Kannada. It was full of trees, there were very few houses, hardly any traffic, and it was incredibly peaceful. It almost felt like living in a resort. People could walk around freely, and the weather was beautiful. Malleswaram has transformed enormously since then.

Kiran, you began with music. How did that transition to dance happen?

Kiran: My father was an IPS officer and a Sanskrit scholar. My mother was a vocalist, and her sister was a dancer, so there was both music and dance in the family. Although I was learning music, my mother was deeply fascinated by dance, especially its expressive quality, and my parents encouraged me to pursue it.

When did dance become something you wanted for yourself rather than something your parents encouraged?

Kiran: Initially, the decision was my parents'. But once I started performing, I realised how powerful dance is as a medium of communication. I loved interacting with audiences and expressing ideas through performance. That made me want to take it seriously.

At the time I was studying engineering at M.S. Ramaiah College. I knew I could continue dancing alongside a regular job, but becoming a professional dancer required complete commitment. It was a bold decision because there were very few male dancers and making a living through dance was difficult. Still, I decided to take that chance.

Sandhya: I fell in love with dance from the moment I started learning it. I didn't know it would become my profession, but dance was always a huge part of my life—through school, college and beyond.

Kiran: Later, when we decided to get married, it felt natural that dance would become our shared profession as well. Though when I chose dance, we weren't married yet. (laughs) After dance, she fell in love with me. She still had a choice—but thankfully she chose to support me.

Do you remember your first major performance together?

Kiran: We had done smaller performances before, usually one or two pieces alongside senior dancers. But our first major production together was Meenakshi Kalyanam at Chowdiah Memorial Hall. I performed Shiva and Sandhya played Parvati. That performance remains incredibly vivid in my memory.

What was it like being a male Bharatanatyam dancer at that time?

Kiran: It was difficult. Society wasn't ready to accept men pursuing classical dance. People mocked me, saying it was a woman's art because of the costumes and makeup. Some even distanced themselves because they didn't want to be associated with a male dancer.

Financially it was also challenging. One of my gurus used to say classical dance is "a poor man's rich art." After training for several years, we began teaching at five or six different centres across Bengaluru to support ourselves. Things gradually changed as I started performing more and people began recognising my work. Today the attitude is completely different, and many families happily encourage boys to learn dance.

You have created many productions together. What does your choreography process look like?

Sandhya: The choreography itself is mostly Kiran's domain. I handle the costumes, production, administration and everything around the performance.

Kiran: Before choreography comes conceptualisation, and that's the most important stage. You have to be completely convinced by the idea before creating movement. Once the concept is clear, choreography becomes the process of shaping it physically through movement and expression.

It's an intuitive process—you can't force it. Some productions take months because, beyond the choreography, the music, costumes, lighting and production all need to come together.

Do you ever experience creative blocks?

Kiran: Sometimes an idea simply refuses to move forward. I've spent days thinking about something without making progress, and then suddenly, often in the middle of the night, the solution appears. I'll wake Sandhya up, she'll make a note of it, and we'll work on it. Creativity has to flow—you can't force it. You have to allow it to manifest.

Sandhya: There are also times when we've choreographed something but aren't satisfied with it. We wait, and often the answer arrives intuitively. Sometimes it even happens during a performance.

Kiran: Those moments of improvisation only come with experience. You need enough understanding to trust yourself.

Sandhya: It also depends on having musicians who are alert enough to follow those spontaneous changes on stage.

How would you describe each other's teaching styles?

Kiran: Sandhya is naturally gentle. I'm stricter and tend to demand a lot from students. She often softens my approach. We teach the same way in terms of content, but our personalities come through differently.

Sandhya: He comes across as very powerful, even though he's soft-hearted. I'm quieter by nature. Those personalities naturally reflect in the classroom as well.

What have your students taught you?

Kiran: Teaching is another name for learning. Every time you teach, you discover something new. Students often interpret movement in unexpected ways, and that becomes a learning experience for us as well. You cannot be a good teacher without remaining a good learner.

You performed alongside Hema Malini for nearly a decade. What was that experience like?

Kiran: I joined her productions in the mid-1990s after one of my gurus recommended me for the lead role. I performed characters such as Rama and Satyavan in productions like Ramayan and Savitri.

Working with her introduced me to a completely different production culture. In Bengaluru we began classes at dawn, but rehearsals in Mumbai only started around eleven in the morning and continued through the day. Although she came from cinema, her productions drew from classical dance while also incorporating forms like Kathakali and Chhau to create large theatrical productions.

I learnt an enormous amount—not only about performance but also about costume changes, lighting, stagecraft and production. It was a wonderful experience.

You both appeared on television through Natyanjali and Hejje Mele Hejje. What was that experience like?

Kiran: Before Hejje Mele Hejje we worked on Natyanjali for Udaya TV for nearly three years, often shooting six episodes in a day. Television is completely different from performing on stage because everything happens through the camera lens.

Sandhya: Natyanjali was almost like today's reality shows, but entirely content-driven. Serious Bharatanatyam students competed, and we also invited artists from other dance forms, making it educational as well.

Kiran: Even today people remember the show. Auto drivers still tell us they wouldn't begin work until it finished. Hejje Mele Hejje took a more popular approach, encouraging impromptu choreography and blending folk and classical influences.

What does a typical day at Rasika look like?

Kiran: We've always begun our days very early. I still wake up around 3:30 a.m. Earlier our first class started at 5:30. The mornings were filled with teaching and rehearsals, followed by administrative work, a short rest, and then evening classes until around eight. Performances and travel would fit into that schedule.

Sandhya: No two days are exactly alike. There are classes, rehearsals, choreography, administration and performances. Earlier we handled everything ourselves. Today we have faculty members and administrative support, but the routine and discipline remain the same.

Do you have a favourite production?

Kiran: Every performance feels new, so it's difficult to choose one. But among our productions, Maanini, Bha Ra Tha Pallavi, Aram and my earliest production, Khanda, remain especially close to me.

As artistic partners, how do you handle creative disagreements?

Kiran: (laughs) She shouts at me, gets angry and cries.

Sandhya: Do you believe that?

Kiran: Not entirely! She's meticulous, while I'm more spontaneous. Sometimes I'll improvise during a performance.

Sandhya: Dancing as a duo is difficult because two people have to appear as one. We rehearse extensively, and then he'll suddenly improvise on stage while I'm wondering what's happening.

Kiran: It isn't intentional—it just happens.

Sandhya: And then he promises it won't happen again... until the next performance.

Apart from dance, what do you enjoy?

Kiran: We both love music and reading. My background in mridangam has made rhythm a lifelong interest, and I enjoy listening to music from around the world.

Sandhya: I mostly read non-fiction and usually have two or three books going at the same time.

Kiran: I also read non-fiction, especially books on self-improvement. Wayne Dyer is one of my favourite authors.