ABOUT GURU
With over 20 years of experience in mentoring, performing and researching in ‘Arts', Lavanyaa Surendar started ‘AUM LLC’ to spread the knowledge of relationship between community & Arts. Lavanyaa started learning BharathNatyam, at the age of 3 from her grandmother Smt. Renganayaki and has performed in over 150 stages. At the age of 15 she joined (her mother) Dr.Akila Sathyanarayanan's institute "Natya Vidhyalaya" as an art director , where she has developed budding artists . While her specialization is in Bharathanatyam (Tanjavur style), Lavanyaa has also trained herself in other art forms such as Kuchupudi, Yoga and an Indian string instrument, Saraswathi Veena under Sri Vennai Srinivasan. She holds her Masters in Molecular biology from Illinois Institute of Technology. Having seen arts both in artistic and scientific front, she is exploring the relationship between ‘Art and Heart’: A study to understand how arts influences human wellbeing.
Having a certification in Neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University, Lavanyaa specializes in ‘Neuroaesthetics’. She has written several articles among which," while-we-experience-art-sports-do-we-feel-connected-to-something-large-why?" has been featured in Neo narthaki.
http://neonarthaki.com/while-we-experience-art-sports-do-we-feel-connected-to-something-large-why/
She also developed a dance based workout ‘Art & Anatomy’, that premiered in Lawrence University, Appleton. She was also an active member of ‘The Newyork Dance Talks’ and has presented ‘Abigyan Shakuntalum’ at the conference. She works closely with American Mental Health Organization to use Arts as interventional treatment.
Lavanyaa is the founding President of Ziksa-An Art Forum, which connects artists through professional channels and helps art thrive. She was an Educational Co-chair for the Sheboygan Theatre company wherein she proposed educational opportunities and career building focus for students of STC. She is also a Director on the board of Art Garage in Green Bay. She has also worked with Maker Faire to use arts as a community engagement tool.
She holds a second Masters in Arts & Cultural Management from Colorado State University and is trained in South Indian Carnatic Music under her mother in law Guru. Smt. Revathi Narasimhan (Founder of Chari Cultural Center). Under the guidance of Dr. Sujatha Mohan she is also working on Sanskrit treatise on the performing arts Natya Shastra.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/neuroscience-meets-theatre-east-vs-west-lavanyaa-surendar/