Sujata Nair Mulloth

Guru “Kalashree” Sujata Nair-Mulloth, a performer, teacher, and choreographer, is the founder and Artistic Director of The Kala School of Indian Classical Dance She is a Roster artist with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.

Trained in three styles of Indian Classical Dance, Sujata studied the Bharata Natyam style at Ganesa Natyalaya, New Delhi under Padmavibhushan Guru Saroja Vaidyanathan. She also had intensive training in Kuchipudi under Guru Jayarama Rao and in Mohini Attam under Guru Sahadevan. This year she had the honor of being given the tittle of Kalashree for her continued contribution to the arts---presented by her Guru Parampara.

As a performer Sujata has given solo recitals worldwide since 1979.  Her notable performances include her recitals at the Asian Games 1982, the Cultural Festival in Amsterdam, the International Cultural Festival in Pyong Yang, North Korea, the Arts festival at the “Welsh College of Music and Drama” Cardiff Wales and at shows hosted by the President of India for foreign dignitaries visiting India.

As a teacher she has taught Bharata Natyam in New Delhi India and in Cambridgeshire United Kingdom. She has conducted several workshops and Lecture demonstrations for the Cambridgeshire Arts Council. In collaboration with the Cambridgeshire County Council, she presented a full length production “Rhythms and Raga” Working with the East Midlands Arts, United Kingdom, she was involved in dance projects working with the mentally and physically challenged. Sujata began teaching the art form in Clarks Summit PA in 1995. She has been teaching Bharata Natyam at the Conservatory at Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania for the last twenty years. The Kala School also conducts classes in Scranton, and in Binghampton NY. In association with The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts she has conducted residencies in several school districts in both Lackawanna and Luzerne County.

As a choreographer, Sujata uses Indian Classical Dance as a medium to create thought provoking work that explores new ways to use the ancient dance vocabulary. Her choreographies include “The Holy Rivers”, “Ayyappa”  “Krishna”, “Ritu”, “Nritya”, “Yatra” and Dakshina. Her recent productions” Sthree” and “Natya” were  Bharata Natyam choreographies set to western music provided by the Wilkes University Wind Ensemble conducted by Phillip Simon.. These productions explore new ways to use the ancient dance vocabulary and incorporates contemporary themes and diverse musical influences from around the world. Her productions “Ancient Legacies Modern Land -I,II and III were funded by grants through the Lackawanna County and The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.

In association with NEIU 19, (Lackawanna County) she does dance presentations and master classes for students. Sujata is on the traditional Artist Roster at Everhart Museum, Scranton PA . Her two recent productions, “Reflections from Home”---a panel discussion with immigrant artists and “Shades in Movement”—a program connecting the visual and the performing arts were in collaboration with The Everhart Museum and Lackawanna County.

Sujata has spent several years working as a journalist and now teaches in the Communications, Arts and Humanities department at Keystone College and at Marywood University Scranton PA.