Srilekha Jayanthi

A Kuchipudi dancer and choreographer based in Miami, Srilekha Jayanthi stumbled upon the art form when she was six, and has been enchanted ever since. She studied Kuchipudi primarily under the tutelage of Smt. Anuradha Nehru, Founder of the D.C. area-based Kalanidhi Dance, and Sri Jaikishore Mosalikanti. Before that, her first Guru was Dr. Malladi Rajani, based in Hyderabad.

For years, Srilekha performed as part of the Kalanidhi Dance Company at venues across the country, such as the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and Joyce Soho and Symphony Space in New York. She also performed with the Company in two international tours to India, including most recently showcasing Srilekha's original dance production, Sundari Charitam, a telling of the Beauty and the Beast fairytale in Kuchipudi's literary and musical styles. Going forward, Srilekha is eager to continue writing, choreographing, and directing dramas inspired by the endlessly lavish and ever-charming storytelling traditions of Kuchipudi. When she isn't dancing, Srilekha serves as an Assistant Federal Public Defender representing indigent criminal defendants in Miami.