Elena Tarasova is a practitioner of Indian dance since 1987. Performer, choreographer, dance teacher with 26 years experience and everlastingly learning student and art researcher.
1994-1999 — Saint-Petersburg State University of Culture and Arts. Diploma with distinction.
1996 — established Indian Dance School «Apsara» in Saint-Petersburg.
2008 — participated in International Kuchipudi Dance Convention in USA.
2008 — was invited to create and teach a course on Indian dance in Academy of Russian Ballet named after A. Y. Vaganova.
2009 — founded Center of Indian Culture in Saint-Petersburg.
2013 — set up the project «The dance without limits» — video learning tool for 4 Indian dance styles: Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathak for the beginners and Bollywood dance for the advanced level.
Working languages are Russian and English. Holder of Guiness World Record for Kuchipudi dance.
Dance studies and teachers
1980ies: Tatyana Vladimirovna Rymareva (Kathak, Bhartanatyam basics), Tatyana Stanislavovna Yatsenko (Kathak, Bhartanatyam basics), Anna Styazhkina (Kathak, Bhartanatyam basics).
1994-1996 Anna Vyacheslavovna Maschak (Kuchipudi)
1996-2020 self practice, workshops, visits to India in different time:
— winters 2003-2004, 2006-2007 — Dr. Sobha Naidu, Hyderabad, Srinivasa Kuchipudi Art Academy (Bho Shambho, Okapari Kokapari, Vani Pondu, Shivashtakam, Tillana Bageswari);
— Shiv Adinarayana Chinta, Hyderabad (Ganesha Kouthuvam);
— 2008 June — Vempati Ravi Shankar, USA, Cupertino (Swarajathi Athana, several ballet parts for Kuchipudi Convention);
— Sailaja, Moscow, week workshop (Ananda Tandavam, Narayaneeyam, Ramayana sabdam),
— 2012 Yashoda Thakore, Saint-Petersburg (Sharanam Bhava).
— short workshops by Deepika Reddy, Ananda Shankar Jayant, Kaushalya Reddy,
— Praveen Gangani (Shiva Vandana),
— Rajendra Gangani (Durga Stuthi, Trivat, Ganesha Stuthi, Pancham Savari),
— Sharmila Sharma, Riga (Tarana Malkauns),
— Mahendra Parihar — a year of Jaipur gharana Kathak training in Saint-Petersburg;
— Ashwani Nigam (workshop on basics on Kathak),
— Shyamala Surendran (workshop on basics on Bharatanatyam and Mohiniattam)
— Sujata Mohapatra, Saint-Petersburg (workshop on Odissi basics)
— 2009 — 2020 Jaykishore Mosalikanti (Bramham Okate, Alokaye Sri Bala Krishna, Pankajamukhi Arathi, Saraswathi Namostuthe and a number of Master’s garu compositions)
Professional activity:
Performances, workshops, choreography production (over 100 dance items), daily practice and teaching (Kuchipudi, Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Bollywood dance, Indian classical dance theory), plastic art, yoga, dance therapy and philosophy of the dance.
