Rekha Raju
Rekha Raju is an Indian classical dance performer and teacher from Bangalore, Karnataka. She specialises in the Bharatnatyam and Mohiniyattam dance forms. Early life and education. Rekha was born in brahmin family at Palakkad district, Kerala to M.R.Raju, a theatre artiste, and Jayalakshmi Raghavan and brought up in Bangalore. She started learning classical dance at the age of four. She trained intensively under various gurus, including renowned Kalamandalam Usha Datar, Raju Datar, Gopika Varma and Janardhanan. She started her college education pursuing a degree in commerce, while she studied Administration in Human Resource & Accounts and Performing of Art  for her master's degree. She completed her Ph.D. in Fine Arts from Heidelberg University, Germany. She is a distinction holder of master's degree in Bharathnatyam and rank holder of the Vidwath [proficiency]. Career. She made her stage debut (Arangetram) in 2003 at Ravindra Kalakshetra in Bangalore. She has been performing on various stages in India and abroad from the age of four and performed as a soloist for many respected institutions of dance in India, including "Yuva Sourabha", organized by the Kannada Culture Department, programme at the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Institute of World Culture, "Delhi International  Festival", "Poona Dance Festival", "Kajuraho Dance Festival", "Konark Dance Festival", "Purana Quila", "Chennai Seasonal Dance Festival", "Chidambaram Dance Festival", "Vishwa Kannada Sammelan" at Belgaum, "Andhra Music & Dance Festival" etc. She has received much critical acclaim for both her solo and group choreography. Presently Raju is working as an assistant dance teacher at Bangalore Tamil Sangam and as a guest lecturer in dance at the International Center for Management & Indian Studies where the foreign students trained to improvise Indian culture. She is an auditioned artiste at the Bangalore Doordarshan and an empanelled artiste for the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. She  also heads a dance institution named Nrithya Dhama, where she trains kids from minority backgrounds, and is also associated with the Freedom Foundation, a volunteer group that rehabilitates children with HIV. Raju has participated at the "Tanjore Dance Festival" where 1000 dancers performed, securing entrance in the Limca Book of Records. She has been honoured by the Bangolre Tamil sangam as the "Best Young Dancer to promote Indian Art". She has also been given the title "Swarna Mukhi" by the Kalahalli Temple Trust.