Sri Lanka may be thousands of miles from the UK, but its traditional Bharatanatyam dance is alive and thriving, especially in and around London.This ancient and beautiful art form is very popular amongst the children and grandchildren of Sri Lankan immigrants in and around South London, in the main thanks to the pioneering efforts of Tooting resident Mrs Ragini Rajagopal. I went along to interview this lady to find out her secret of maintaining the dance tradition on the other side of the world.

I asked how long she had been teaching this beautiful form of art and she said she started her first school in Sri Lanka in 1975.In 1985 when moved to this country,news of her teaching skills travelled with her and she was approached by their headmistress of St Fransiscan School in Tooting and was asked to continue doing so there.She has continued to teach there for more than 35 years.Not only does she teach Sri Lankan students but also multiracial students.Her family were very encouraging and happy that she was keeping the tradition alive.


She and her dancers put on exhibition dances as well as presenting shows at religious festivals in the temple and for charitable events.Productions are also held for parents which provides an excellent opportunity for the youngsters to show off what they have learnt, with other family members being able to appreciate the culture of Sri Lanka.The traditional brightly coloured clothing that the children are allowed to wear makes for a beautiful spectacle.

Mrs Rajagopal has received several awards in recognition of her service to Sri Lankan dance and is one of the most famous teachers in London, having been the first Indian dance teacher to be recognised by Wandsworth Council.When asked about the future and the continuing popularity of Bharatanatyam Mrs Rajagopal was very positive.She said that families always encourage their children to learn this beautiful form of dance and, in fact, many of her students go on to be dance teachers themselves.It would seem the future is very bright for Bharatanatyam.