Our Team
Aishwarya Hegde Artistic Director
Aishwarya embarked on her journey in the world of Odissi at the young age of seven under the tutelage of Guru Deepak Roy in Muscat. Enchanted by the graceful movements of this classical dance form from eastern India, Aishwarya has pursued her passion with determination, rigorous training, and a clear vision.
After mastering the fundamentals of Odissi, she went on to train under renowned dancers such as Smt. Sujata Mohapatra, Guru Uday Shetty of Nrityagram, and Smt. Arushi Mudgal. Guru Venu G has been her mentor and source of inspiration in rediscovering the intricacies and nuances of Abhinaya.
Today, Aishwarya is an accomplished Odissi dancer in the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Gharana and has enthralled audiences both in Oman and abroad, earning her public recognition and admiration. She has fulfilled her Guru's vision of establishing Odissi in Oman and is now the artistic director at her performing arts school, Deepam Odissi Academy.
As a teacher and choreographer at Deepam, Aishwarya aims to spread the richness of Indian heritage to people from diverse backgrounds and demographics, bringing a relevant message through her choreographies. Her deep understanding of the Natya Shastra and her fascination with the nuances of Abhinaya are reflected in each of her performances, which blend authenticity with modernity.
Aishwarya's talent and hard work have been recognized with numerous awards and titles, including the "Laasya Bharathi" title at the "Laasyotsava Festival" in Hong Kong, the "Natya Saradhi" title at the Bharat Nrityotsava held in Vishakapatnam by the UNESCO certified Natraj Music and Dance Academy, and the "Natyasri" title at the prestigious Vyshaki dance festival.
She and her dancers at Deepam have had the honor of representing India and performing at prestigious events organized by the Indian Embassy in Oman, including the reception of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Oman.
Aishwarya dreams of taking Deepam to new heights and creating more opportunities for learning through workshops, lecture demonstrations, and dance camps for children. She hopes to educate audiences about the rich culture and history of Indian classical dance forms and make dance a universal language that can break cultural barriers and unite people. Her childhood fascination has blossomed into a lifelong quest to spread the beauty and power of dance to the world.
Varsha began her dance journey at the young age of three under the guidance of Smt. Srikala Murali. Under her tutelage, she trained in the Indian Classical dance forms of Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi and Mohiniyattam. Throughout her childhood & adolescence, she has been extensively performing and competing at various prestigious stages. Some of her notable achievements include her representing India at the global event of Dance Muscat Dance.
After mastering the classical dances of the south, she ventured into the East Indian dance form of Odissi, after her talent was recognized by her guru, Guru Deepak Roy. Varsha has had the opportunity to showcase her passion and love for Odissi at various prestigious stages around the world like ‘Bharat Nrityotsava’ held in Visakhapatnam by the UNESCO certified Natraj Music and Dance Academy where her talents were recognized and was awarded the ‘Natya Saradhi Yuva Puraskar’ title for her performance. She also holds the title of ‘Laasya Bharathi’ at the ‘Laasyotsava Festival’ held in Hong Kong.
Varsha Rathi Principal Dancer & Trainer
With her comprehensive knowledge on the classical dances of India, today, she is a well-recognized dancer in Oman, using her passion for dance as a tool to unite and educate people on the rich history and beauty of Indian Classical dance by conducting lecture demonstrations in Oman. She has also taken on the role of Dance Instructor at Deepam Odissi Academy, started by her guru Smt. Aishwarya Hegde in Muscat, Oman where she has had the opportunity to cultivate this art form in young upcoming artists and advocate on the importance of dance on physical and mental health.
Shreya Chatterjee Coordinator
Shreya began her Odissi dance journey in 2015 with Guru Deepak Roy. Dance classes gave her something new to learn and the challenge of attaining something new was made simpler in Guru Deepak Roy’s classes - which was a big encouragement to her.
An advertising professional otherwise, Odissi gave her the chance to break away from a hectic work-life. And even though her journey as a dancer is currently on hold, being the Coordinator keeps her journey with Deepam going which has always felt like her home.
Tamoghna trained in Odissi under Guru Deepak Roy from the young age of 5 until she left for university in 2018. She performed on many platforms including two solo shows in Bangladesh and was awarded the prestigious ‘Yuva Naatyasri’ award by the Natraj Academy for her performance at the Vyshaki Dance Festival in 2015.
She is an alumna of New York University Abu Dhabi where she pursued Film and New Media. She works with poetry and the moving image to create poetic narratives that reflect on deeply personal topics of identity, mental health, abuse and trauma. Her found footage film about sexual abuse within ‘ safe spaces’, 'Uprooted', was an official selection at the Rome Prisma Awards Film Festival in 2020 and she has written a poetry anthology titled 'Anchored Astronauts' which was published in 2017.
Tamoghna Dey Brand Strategist
Tamoghna has always felt that her dance training has manifested itself in her work in film and the arts and has pursued her passion for Odissi in a different form. Now, she is working behind the scenes as a Brand Strategist at Deepam and applies her technical knowledge of film and media production to enhance Deepam’s performances and events.