YUVA is a collaborative choreography and performance platform for young and talented Indian classical artists (dance and music), curated and presented by Silambam Houston. YUVA strives to catalyze collaboration and creativity among young upcoming artists in the Indian classical arts and to encourage them to 'find their artistic voice'. YUVA Artists, selected from among a pool of applicants, collaborate to create new artistic works for presentation at theYUVAfestival.
YUVA 2026 features 8 talented artists from across the country, and will take place on September 12, 2026.
The eight artists of the 2026 cohort represent a range of Indian arts genres, including Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, Carnatic vocal and violin, and tabla. They have been working together for months to create a new collaborative work, titled
Arishadvarga: Antaryuddham Abhinayavedyam
The Battlefield of Inner Emotions
Scroll down to learn more about the YUVA 2026 artist cohort and their work!
Buy Tickets to YUVA 2026!
Selected seating tier tickets are ‘pay what you can’ until Aug 30.
You set the price, and your purchase allows us to compensate the emerging artists who are the creative backbone of YUVA 2026.
The YUVA 2026 performance will also be available to view on demand! Click below to reserve tickets to the online stream, which will be available the week after the performance.
From the YUVA 2026 Cohort
Six dancers. Six epic mythologies. Six internal battles. Arishadvarga: Antaryuddham Abhinayavedyam follows the journey of an unborn soul being introduced to the potent forces that govern human existence. Witness a multidisciplinary classical dance showcase tracking the thin line between passion and delusion, anger and righteousness, greed and ruin. Ultimately, discover how these six shadow emotions can be balanced to unlock the peace within.
CREDITS
Concept, Direction, Choreography:
YUVA 2026 Cohort
Supporting Artists:
Nagasrinidhi Kuruvada (mridangam)
Lighting Design
YUVA 2026 Cohort
Stage Management:
Rehearsal and Performance Space:
Silambam Houston Cultural Arts Center
Facilitated and Presented by:
Silambam Houston
YUVA 2026 Artists
Click or hover on each tile to learn more about each of the talented artists of the YUVA 2026 cohort!
Amatra Jagannathan is a 15-year-old Carnatic violinist who began her musical training at the age of 8 under the guidance of renowned violin maestro and Grammy Award winner Ganesh Rajagopalan of the Ganesh–Kumaresh duo. With her Guru’s blessings, she performed her violin arangetram in September 2023, at the young age of 12, in Redmond, Washington.
In addition to her training in Carnatic violin, Amatra also studies Carnatic vocal music under Sri Ganesh Rajagopalan. She trains in Western classical violin with Mrs. Debra Zadinsky and performs with the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Evergreen Philharmonic Orchestra, gaining experience across both Indian and Western classical traditions.
Amatra has performed extensively as both a soloist and accompanist in the Pacific Northwest and in India. She has collaborated on numerous dance and percussion projects and has been part of live orchestras for dance arangetrams and large-scale productions. Her performances include appearances at prestigious venues and events such as the Northwest Folklife Festival, Seattle’s Diwali Festival of Lights, Seattle Town Hall’s Global Music Series, the University of Washington, and the Washington All-State Music Festival, as well as various sabhas in India.
She is the lead violinist and co-founder of Dhwayam, a Carnatic music fusion band that performs at fundraising concerts and community events, bringing together Indian classical traditions with contemporary and cross-genre elements to engage diverse audiences.
Amatra is also the only Carnatic violinist ever to win the Evergreen Philharmonic Concerto Competition and will be featured as a soloist accompanied by the orchestra in a Carnatic concerto performance, bridging Indian classical and Western symphonic traditions.
Beyond performance, Amatra is actively involved in arts leadership and advocacy. She serves as one of two youth representatives on the Sammamish Arts Commission in Washington state, contributing a young artist’s perspective to local arts initiatives.
Her artistic achievements have been recognized through multiple honors and awards. She is a recipient of the Humanities Washington Heritage Arts Apprenticeship Program grant for the 2025–26 cycle and was most recently honored with the Youth Cultural Ambassador Award by the International Consortium of Performing Arts Organizations, recognizing her dedication to Indian classical art forms.
In December 2025, Amatra had the privilege of being one of the nine violinists featured in Thribinna – The Indian Symphony Project, an original album of violin maestro Ganesh Rajagopalan’s compositions, which was launched by A. R. Rahman.
Bhargavi Sardesai is a passionate Kathak performer, dedicated educator, and choreographer with over 16 years of training under the esteemed guidance of Guru Pandita Shama Bhate. She holds a Master of Arts in Kathak with distinction from Lalit Kala Kendra, Savitribai Phule Pune University, and has graduated with an MFA in Dance from California State University, Long Beach, where she expanded her artistic practice into choreography and contemporary explorations.
Bhargavi’s performances have taken her across India and internationally, sharing the rhythms, storytelling, and expressiveness of Kathak with diverse audiences. She performed at the Beethoven Festival in Bonn, Germany (2018), collaborating with flute maestro Pt. Rakesh Chaurasia and percussionist Bernhard Schimpelsberger, and at the World Conference 2019 by Deutsche Welle at WCCB, Bonn. More recently, she has continued performing in the United States, presenting Kathak to new communities and exploring how classical forms resonate in contemporary, diasporic contexts.
As a choreographer, Bhargavi blends traditional Kathak with contemporary movement, creating innovative interpretations of Indian narratives. Her works range from intimate solos to collaborative ensemble pieces, and she has contributed significantly to choreographic projects at NADROOP – School of Kathak Dance.
With a commitment to both tradition and experimentation, Bhargavi’s artistic focus lies in exploring how Indian classical movement can speak to contemporary audiences, particularly in diasporic spaces. Through performance, choreography, and teaching, she seeks to share Indian stories and cultural heritage with global audiences in ways that are both engaging and resonant, fostering connection, curiosity, and appreciation for the depth and versatility of Kathak.
Prajwal Bhaskar began learning Tabla and vocal music at six and has performed in 50+ classical concerts across India and the USA. As Convenor of SPICMACAY Mangalore chapter, he led teams organizing programs of renowned artists and competitions for 400+ school students. A Georgia Tech Master’s graduate, he works as a Robotics Engineer in Houston, teaches vocal music, and leads Classical Yuva, a youth initiative connecting artists and enthusiasts of Indian classical arts.
Ananya N Chandramurthy, a seventh-grader, is a promising Bharatanatyam artist training under the guidance of Smt. Pooja Kumar Shyam. A versatile performer, she has graced prestigious stages in both USA and India, including the renowned Chennai Margazhi season. She has also featured prominently alongside her Guru in her thematic productions. Ananya’s artistic excellence has been recognized with numerous accolades, most notably titles such as 'Bala Prathiba' and 'Yuva Prathiba’. She complements her dancing with training in Carnatic music and Nattuvangam.
Kavya Mathukumalli is a trained Kuchipudi dancer who was introduced to Indian classical dance at the age of seven. She began her training under Guru Harirama Murthy, a senior disciple of Guru Vempati Chinna Sathyam and director of Kuchipudi Kalakshetra, Visakhapatnam. Kavya continued her dance journey after moving to Chennai, where she further developed her artistic foundation. Over the years, she has performed lead roles at several prestigious dance festivals across India, including Visakha Utsav and Khajuraho, and has had the honor of performing at the Tirupati Devasthanam. She also participated in a classical dance jugalbandi at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Delhi. In 2017, she received sponsorship from the South Zone Cultural Center for a performance tour in Malaysia. She was awarded the title “Naatya Ravali,” and her performances have been featured in various South Indian media outlets. Kavya has also performed at the Mysore Maharaja Palace Festival and is recognized as a graded artist by Doordarshan.
She continues to propagate Kuchipudi through her passion for teaching and choreography. Currently, she is furthering her Kuchipudi training under Guru Sailaja Sudha, a senior disciple of Guru Vempati Chinna Sathyam and director of Saila Sudha Dance Academy. Kavya served as the Kuchipudi Director at Silambam Houston for three years, where she enjoyed teaching and promoting the art form in Houston, Texas. She maintains a balance between classical forms by continuing her Bharatanatyam training under Dr. Lavanya Rajagopalan, Artistic Director of Silambam Houston. Over the past five years, Kavya has performed at numerous cultural programs, festivals, and outreach events in and around Houston, including the Miller Outdoor Theatre. She choreographed and performed at San Antonio Diwali for three consecutive years, captivating audiences of over 3,000 attendees each year. She has collaborated with several esteemed artists and choreographers in major productions with Silambam Houston, including Dance of the Cosmos and Waking Up Free – India’s Journey, where she served as the lead Kuchipudi choreographer. She also performed Bharatanatyam as a company dancer in Kindred Soul – The Legacy of King and Gandhi. In 2024, her choreography was selected for presentation at the Barnstorm Dance Fest.
After relocating to Illinois, Kavya continued her dance journey by teaching Kuchipudi and pursuing performance opportunities. Her work has been selected for See Chicago Dance 2025, AIMED Fest, Small Plates Choreography Festival, and Mind the Gap 38. Beginning in 2026, she will serve as the Program and Arts Administrator for Kritya Foundation. In addition to her artistic accomplishments, Kavya exemplifies academic excellence. She holds a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Texas and currently works as a scientist while actively pursuing her passion for classical dance.
Siri Chandrashekar is a U.S. -based professional Bharatanatyam artist, choreographer, and educator trained under Guru Sri P. Praveen Kumar, Bangalore, India. She has represented her work internationally, earning awards and recognition. Her creative work includes the production Ritu Bhaava exploring the emotional essence of the seasons and their parallels with human emotions and the collaborative initiative Kalavrushti (co-founded 2022), focused on developing performance projects with dancers and musicians. She is also training in Konnakkol under Vidwan Somashekar Jois and has practiced Kathak with Guru Smt Nirupama and Sri T.D.Rajendra.
Anika Yechuri began learning Kuchipudi at age four under her mother and guru, Smt. Sushma Yechuri, founder of Kalamandapam Kuchipudi Dance School. She has performed in ballets across the U.S. and is pursuing a Bachelor’s in Kuchipudi at University of Silicon Andhra. In 2024, she served as Captain of UW Natya, leading the team to a 2nd place national ranking. She also teaches dance, training rangapravesam students, and enjoys choreographing pieces that connect emotionally with the audience.
Naosheen is a Bangladeshi American multidisciplinary dancer and choreographer, training in Kathak, Manipuri, and Odissi. She started her dance training in NYC as a young adult. Relocating to Seattle, Naosheen started and led Torongo, a dance team showcasing Bangladeshi folk and semi-classical forms. Under the guidance of Guru Sanjib Bhattacharya, she has performed Manipuri across the U.S., including presenting Nashville's first-ever Manipuri showcase.
Previous editions of YUVA
click on each poster to view highlights
