Professionally trained in Indian classical dance (Bharatanatyam) under the guidance of Guru Dr. Thankamani Kutty, Ananya Chatterjee has been a regular performer and teacher of Bharatanatyam at Kalamandalam, a reputed Centre for Performing Arts in the city of Kolkata, India. Ananya completed her “Arangetram” (first solo public performance) at the young age of 14 under the guidance of her Guru and since then has been pursuing this beautiful art form with passion and devotion. Ananya was awarded a Talent Scholarship from the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training, New Delhi, India (1988-1994) to pursue advanced training in Bharatanatyam. A recipient of the Best Dancer Award in 1990 by the West Bengal State Music Academy, Kolkata, Ananya has performed extensively on stage and national television in India and classified as a graded artist of Kolkata Television.
 
Settled in the UK since 2000, Ananya has had the opportunity to perform in different prestigious venues in London, Oxford, Reading, Leicester, Peterborough, Manchester and Cardiff (Wales). She regularly conducts workshops at local primary schools in Reading area and at the University of Reading Sports Centre under their Active Lifestyles programmes. KALAKUNJ, a performing arts group, founded by Ananya in 2008 aims to encourage, support and actively promote people’s interest, appreciation and practice of the diverse and traditional art forms from South Asia in and around Reading, Berkshire. KALAKUNJ was awarded the Heritage Lottery Fund for the project THE STORY OF SHIVA in 2014-15 to contribute to the understanding of the heritage associated with the centuries’ old symbol of Nataraja, as used in Indian art and culture and to identify its relevance in people's daily lives, particularly those living in the UK. Ananya was also nominated for the PRIDE OF READING (Cultural Category) Award in 2010. As an affiliated member of the ISTD (Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing), London, Ananya regularly encourages and trains her students to undertake Grade examinations with outstanding results. The students of KALAKUNJ have also been selected for YUVAGATI-Centre of Advanced Dance Training initiative funded by the Department of Education, UK. 
 
An International Relations graduate, Ananya, lives in Reading with her husband and two sons and believes that “Dance and music know no geographical boundaries, no linguistic barriers, and no racial divisions. All walls crumble where art is concerned. It is a great unifying and integrating force”.
 
www.kalakunj.co.uk