Meet Our Team
Enrich. Inspire. Empower. Awaken.
Dance Instructors
Master Dance Instructor & Founder
Sonia Chaudhuri
Sonia is an accomplished Kathak dancer whose performances are testimony to her deep understanding and love for this beautiful art form. She has been professionally trained in Kathak by Smt. Prachi Dixit (LA, California) and Pandit Sontosh Maharaj (Kolkata, India). Since founding Upasana Performing Arts in 2003, Sonia has had the privilege of training hundreds of students and choreographing numerous original dance productions. Sonia Chaudhuri has a Bachelors in Dance Education from Stephens College and a Master of Arts in Education from Belmont University.
Dance Instructor
Ishani Ganguly
Ishani joined Upasana Performing Arts Center at the age of 6 where she began her intensive Kathak training under Sonia Chaudhuri. Since 2014, Ishani has been teaching at Upasana while being a senior member of the Sonia Chaudhuri Dance Company. In 2018, she was the first disciple at Upasana to complete her Samarpan. Three years later, Ishani graduated from Belmont University with a Bachelor’s in Global Social Entrepreneurship. She now continues to pursue Kathak at a professional level while being a Recruiting Specialist at Youth Villages.
Dance Instructor
Mohera Narimetla
Mohera has studied Kathak under the tutelage of Sonia since the age of 5. Currently, she serves as a teacher at Upasana and is an active, senior member of the Sonia Chaudhuri Dance Company. In March 2024, she became the third disciple of Sonia Chaudhuri to present her Samarpan, with a thematic emphasis on the divine feminine. In 2021, Mohera graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a double Bachelor's in chemical engineering and mathematics. She now works as a data analyst at Urban Science, while simultaneously pursuing her passion for Kathak professionally.
Dance Instructor
Kanak Gupta
Kanak started her journey learning Kathak at Upasana at the age of 5. She has been a teacher at Upasana since 2018 and is an active, senior member of the Sonia Chaudhuri Dance Company. In June 2021, she became the second disciple of Sonia Chaudhuri to present her Samarpan. In 2024, Kanak graduated with a Bachelor's in International Business and Business Systems and Analytics from Belmont University. She is actively engaging in Kathak at a professional capacity, driven by her deep passion, while working as a Manufacturing Coordinator and Inventory Analyst at DRC Ventures.
Musicians
Hindustani Classical Vocal Instructor
Sharmistha Ganguly
Sharmistha Ganguly is an accomplished Hindustani classical and semi-classical vocal singer. She completed her ‘Sangeet Prabhakar’ from Allahabad University from her music teacher Ms. Seema Dasgupta in Rourkela, India. She has acquired an extensive repertoire of advanced training from Guru Arun Debnath from Delhi, India. She has acquired an extensive repertoire of advanced ‘Raagas’ and ‘Gaiki’ from her ‘Sangeet Guru,’ ‘Guru Arun Debnath’.
Contact: sgang28@gmail.com
Tabla Instructor
Anup Raychowdhury
Anup Raychowdhury began his career in tabla at a very early age. Anup has performed tabla with various national and international musicians. He is very dedicated to passing his musical passion to the next generation by assisting students to learn this remarkable art form and the musical influence that tabla has had in his life. Anup learned tabla in Gyan Prakash Gharana from a very distinguished guru late S. Ganguly, the great disciple of Pandit Gyan Prakash Ghosh from Kolkata, India.
Contact: Anupsikha@gmail.com
Sitar Instructor
Eric Fritsch
Eric Fritsch has been actively involved in the music scene in Nashville, TN for the past 20 years. He is a Producer and Recording Engineer. Eric is passionate about Indian classical music and accompanies many Upasana events and programs on the sitar.
Contact: eastwoodstudios@hotmail.com
