silambam-Sydney School of indian traditional dance

about our institution

Silambam-Sydney founded in May 2009, by dancer - choreographer Aruna Gandhi, has been contributing for the last 15 years to the Australian arts sector, by spreading the rich cultural heritage of India. And this year, we eagerly look forward to celebrating our 15th Anniversary! More info coming up soon!

Silambam-Sydney draws inspiration from Shree Bharatalaya (Chennai, India) a leading institution of fine arts, founded in 1970, by the highly acclaimed artiste and Bharatanatyam Guru Prof. Sudharani Raghupathy.
Aruna, being a senior disciple of Prof. Sudharani Raghupathy continues the tradition she has imbibed from her Guru and is dedicated to passing it on to the younger generation and envisaging Silambam-Sydney as a premier institution of fine arts, here in Australia.

Located in South-West Sydney, NSW, Australia, Silambam offers training in the South-Indian classical dance style of Bharatanatyam. Classes are held at school halls and students of all ages, ranging from age 6 to adults, and from beginners to advanced learners receive their training here. Besides the practice and theory of Bharatanatyam, Silambam also offers a holistic experience for a value-based and disciplined approach to life, in a friendly learning atmosphere! Students are also trained in other allied skills such as lighting, costuming, media design, choreography, teaching, event management and much more...

Apart from the artistic side of learning Bharatanatyam, training in this beautiful art provides various skills to the students, such as multi-tasking, creativity and team work besides building their focus, concentration, physical fitness and confidence. Above all it offers a peaceful and spiritually uplifting experience...

As students slowly advance in their training, they receive opportunities to perform as part of various community events and mainstream arts festivals. Creative Movement workshops, community-arts partnerships, performances and other collaborative projects are extended activities of our institution.

Arangetram (Debut Concert)
'Arangetram' is the maiden performance of a budding Bharatanatyam dancer. After several years of rigorous training in the art, and guidance from the Guru (teacher), it is the first full-fledged performance on stage by the sishya (disciple).
So far, Silambam-Sydney has presented the Arangetram of 12 students who have trained under the guidance of their Guru Aruna for several years. These students include Namrata Pulapaka, Thanuja Kuntumalla and Shishira Bindiganavile (February 2018 at UNSW Science Theatre, Sydney), Dhanya Dinakar and Pratiksha Chuttar (March 2021),Dharshini Bhagavata Srinivasan (July 2022), Dr. Sivakamy Ayngkaran (October 2022), Ananya, Sanika & Akshara (February 2023) - events were held at Bryan Brown Theatre, Bankstown, Manasvinee Karthikeyan & Sonali Bhaskar (March 2024 at UNSW Science Theatre). The dancers were accompanied by a live music orchestra, with artistic-direction for the events by Aruna Gandhi.
Please click here for the video highlights of one of our Arangetrams.

Annual Day Showcase
Every year, Silambam-Sydney has also been presenting an Annual Day showcase event at the end of the year, where all the students of our institution are featured in a performance, to showcase the training they have received each year. These events have been very well received by the families of the students and art lovers who attend our events regularly.

Celebrating our 10th anniversary

Silambam-Sydney celebrated the 10th anniversary by presenting two major artistic events independently in 2019!

October 20th, 2019 at UNSW Science Theatre, Kensington, Sydney
Featuring 'Krishnaarpanam', a spectacular dance production presented by Aruna and students of Silambam.

November 16th, 2019 at Bahai Centre Auditorium, Silverwater, Sydney
Featuring 'Natyamritam', 10th Anniversary celebration & annual showcase by all the students of Silambam.

Please share your ideas and enquiries or simply write to us for more info at: silambamsydney@gmail.com 

(The word Silambam in Tamil, indicates the practice of dance and was one of the names by which Bharatanatyam was known earlier. The dance hall was called the ‘Silamba Koodam’ in the olden days).