"KALAKUNJ" (Centre for Performing Arts) would endeavour to encourage people's support for traditional art forms from South Asia in Reading, Berkshire, UK.

Vision:

Kalakunj will work towards increasing the scope for South Asian dance in performance, education, training and community initiatives.
It will address the training needs of keen learners to ensure high quality of artistic development.
It will induce new enthusiasm and energy to promote Indian classical dance and music within the mainstream of South Asian dance in the region and beyond.

Ananya Chatterjee

Professionally trained in Indian classical dance (Bharatanatyam) under the guidance of Guru Shrimati Thankamani Kutty, Ananya has been a regular performer and teacher of Bharatanatyam at Kalamandalam, a reputed Centre for Performing Arts in the city of Kolkata,India.

She has been awarded a Talent Scholarship from the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training, New Delhi, India (1988-1994) to pursue advanced training in Bharatanatyam.

A recipient of The Best Dancer Award in 1990, by the West Bengal State Music Academy,Kolkata, Ananya has performed extensively on stage and national television in India,and classified as a graded artist of Kolkata Television.

After settling in the UK in 2000, she has had the opportunity to perform in different prestigious venues in London, Oxford, Reading, Leicester, Peterborough and Cardiff (Wales).

She has conducted workshops at local primary schools in Reading and at the University of Reading Sports Centre under their Active Lifestyles programme.

An International Relations graduate from the University of Reading, Ananya is currently pursuing her Phd. and realises how important it is to infuse art into our lives to bring people together irrespective of class, race, religion or nationality.