Guru Smt. Uma Rao has been sharing her knowledge whole heartedly and has trained students for many years. Teaching is her passion and her expertise in different forms of dance, knowledge in Music, command over Nattuvangam and ability to teach in multiple languages makes her one of the best Bharathanatyam teachers in India and abroad. Students from many countries have been learning from her and she has carved a niche for herself as a capable Teacher. She regularly visits various countries to train the students and believes "An Artiste is incomplete without being a Teacher" - the only way to respect your Guru is to hand over her legacy to the next generation of students.
She believes “Dance is a Complete Art” – and its just not enough to dance. She opines, dancer should be capable of singing in laya and shruti, proficient in Nattuvangam and be able to understand the lyrics and depth behind the Compositions of any language. So her teachings are always very detailed and cover all the aspects to make sure the students understand the “Inner Meaning” behind a Composition so that the Abhinaya will naturally flow along with the understanding. Guru Uma Rao thus trains her students in Singing, Nattuvangam, Theory, Abhinaya, Choreography, Makeup etc., giving importance to each and every aspect of dance during her training sessions. With such great skills in teaching Uma Rao has carried forward the legacy of her teacher Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale in an efficient way.
When it comes to teaching and performances – she is a strict teacher. At the same time she showers her students with affection and love. Each and every production and choreography of hers reflects her hardwork and dedication.
These are some of her Academic roles in India & abroad:
As Founder-Director of Sri Lalithakala Academy, Mysore - she has trained innumerable number of students.
Kalakshetra International College of Fine Arts, Chennai -External Examiner for Post Graduation & Reviving Smt.Rukmini Devi’s works /Dance items.
Adavu in Kalakshetra bani – Sangeetha Nrutya Academy, Bangalore.
Lecture demonstration & workshops at U.S.A ,Madagascar, Mauritius, Holland, France .Hong-Kong Germany, Singapore, Japan- Rikyo, Kieo, Tokyo Universities, Russia (Tomsk University).
Lecture demonstration & workshops at Indian Universities of Mysore, Goa, Pondicherry, Bangalore, Calcutta.
Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society - Dept. of Bharatha Natyam. At SIFAS
Uma has created an unparallel history on the Singapore Arts scene with her crisp stage production, Choreography & Dedicated teaching
"The Bharatanatyam demonstration / lecture of Ms.Uma Rao was a unique aspect of her success in the performances and the audience were able to follow this divine Indian art in spite of the language gap." - K.R.Sinha, Ambassador for India, Madagascar.
