Guru Rambabu
Her very first Guru. She began learning with him at the age of four and a half, in folk forms and dance-drama.
Biography
A dance that began at four and a half
30+Years as performer & choreographer
24Years of NrityaNarta
4Countries performed in
1000sStudents trained
India · England · Nepal · Singapore
Born in Kolkata on 4 February 1971, Sruti Barua began her journey in dance at the age of four and a half, under Guru Rambabu and Guru Thankmuni Kutti.
An Odissi exponent, Doordarshan artist and empanelled artist of Prasar Bharati, she has been appreciated both as a performer and as a choreographer in India and abroad for over three decades.
Her training spans several classical traditions: Odissi in the Kelucharan Mohapatra style and abhinaya under Guru Trinath Maharana; professional Odissi training under Padmashri Guru Ranjana Gauhar, from whom she also learnt the Mayadhar Raut style in 2019; Kathak under Guru Jitender Maharaj, a disciple of Padmashri Nalini and Kamalini; Rabindra Nritya under Guru Valmiki Banerjee; and Bharatanatyam, folk forms and dance-dramas under her first Gurus.
“For me, dance has never been just an art form. It has been a lifelong mission. For more than thirty years I have dedicated myself to preserving and passing on the classical traditions of India, shaping young dancers into confident, cultured artists and responsible human beings.”
To popularise Odissi, she has travelled and performed across India, England, Nepal and Singapore. Her students have won awards at state, national and international levels, and her choreographies have been honoured year after year for the emotion, discipline and storytelling they bring alive.
