Ananta - The Legend Lives On

“ANANTA - The Legend Lives On” is a Bharatanatyam dance production based on Padma Bhushan Prof CV Chandrasekhar's compositions presented by Jyotsna Vaidee and Samudra Dance Creations. Ananta is a celebration of a legacy that is timeless, forever inspiring dancers and rasikas alike; an ode to the Guru Shishya Parampara.

On September 13, 2025, the Samudra ensemble of dancers, a youth ensemble, and guest artists are coming together for this event to present many unique compositions of Padma Bhushan Prof CV Chandrasekhar. This is also a fundraiser for a non-profit, Remalaya, raising funds for a meaningful cause founded by Renu Empranthiri and Manoje Pandalam

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Live Orchestra: Snigdha Venkataramani, Vikram Raghukumar, Aditya Iswara, Santosh Ravindrabharathi, Srivathsa Pasumarthi

Samudra Ensemble Dancers: Jyotsna Vaidee, Aishwarya Raman, Akshaya Arunkumar, Anusha Sreenivasan, Nikita Srikant, Sriya Srirangarajan

Guest Artists and Youth Ensemble: To be revealed soon

Padma Bhushan Prof CV Chandrasekhar is an Indian Bharatanatyam dancer, academician, musician, dance scholar, composer, and choreographer. He retired as Head of the Faculty of Performing Arts of M.S. University, Baroda. Professor Chandrasekhar and his wife Jaya Chandrasekhar were one of the best-known dancing couples of Bharata Natyam in India. He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Bharatnatyam in 1993 by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama, and received the Kalidas Samman in 2008. In 2011, he was honoured with the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India.

He was performing for the last six decades of his life in India and all over the globe, and was invited by many dancers the world over to teach and to choreograph. He continued to perform on stage well into his seventh decade. Through his music, dance compositions, poetry, rhythm, and voice, he inspires so many of us to fall in love with dance. A true Guru, a humble soul with unwavering integrity.

Jyotsna Vaidee: Artistic Director and Producer

Jyotsna Vaidee is an award-winning Bharatanatyam choreographer and dancer and the founder of Samudra Dance Creations. Jyotsna is a well-established Bharatanatyam soloist who has immersed herself in the art for over 25 years. She is a senior disciple of "Padma Bhushan" Prof CV Chandrasekhar and "Nritya Kalandhi" Smt. Bragha Bessell. Her performances have received critical acclaim in India and North America and have been reviewed in The Hindu and other publications. She is a regular performer at India’s (Chennai) December dance and music season and has performed full-length solo concerts known as “Margam” at prestigious festivals, and has received awards such as Natya Ratna, Nritya Shiromani, and Best Performer award from Chennai Sabhas.

Samudra Dance Creations

Samudra is a Sanskrit term literally meaning the "gathering together of waters.” As the name implies, the company enables collaborations among freelance/professional artists in the San Francisco Bay Area and creates awareness around cultural/social issues. Samudra Dance Creations seeks to represent and empower the Indian community operating in a Diaspora environment and also seeks to engage the mainstream. Samudra has presented at several prestigious festivals, including the Erasing Borders Festival in New York, the Momentum Festival in Toronto, the PushDance Fest, and the Ragamala Music Society of Canada. Jyotsna Vaidee, the Artistic Director, advocates that the authentic technique of Bharatanatyam is a rich language that can be used to communicate and discover themes that are both traditional and contemporary. To that end, Ms. Vaidee has created several full-length original choreographic productions including The Caged Bird Sings (2018), The Quest Unsaid (2013/2015) and Kaavyam: Poetry in Motion (2011), The Earth Speaks (2019) nominated for an Isadora Duncan Award, The Earth Speaks 2.0 (2023) toured 5 cities in NorthAmerica. Samudra’s Dance Film STORM (2021) received official selection in multiple Dance Film Festivals

About Remalaya

Ananta is proud to support Remalaya, a Bay Area-based nonprofit dedicated to making the arts more inclusive and accessible. Remalaya creates meaningful opportunities for differently-abled individuals, seniors, and children with special needs to participate in and experience the joy of Indian classical arts.
Their vision is simple but powerful: to build a more compassionate and connected community through the arts.
All proceeds from Ananta will go towards Remalaya’s initiatives, helping them continue their incredible work in creating platforms where everyone has a place on stage and in the audience.
Learn more: www.remalaya.org