our team
Raji Krishnan - Founder and President
An ardent art aficionado and a multifaceted artist herself, Raji Krishnan believes in the utmost power of the arts as a unifying, healing force and a potent medium of human expression and communication.
A strong advocator of traditional Indian classical music and dance forms and the profoundness of Indian heritage, she is also a passionate proponent for artistic growth and innovation in the arts.
With strong roots in Indian classical dance, music as well as visual arts, she has helmed dance productions, conceptualized innovative art projects such as "Drums and Bells", "A Poet's Trance" and several other initiatives while seamlessly stepping into multiple roles and responsibilities such as artistic director, composer, vocalist, choreographer, dancer, editor, nattuvanar (wielding traditional Indian cymbals). As a visual artist, she has exhibited her work and has also donated her paintings such as "Window to the woods" for community fundraisers. Her collaborative visual art piece - an exquisite 26-foot-by-11-foot sand artwork "Seven wonders of the world" was exhibited to critical acclaim.
She has created several original works, produced & released dance tracks in both traditional and innovative genres such as "Jungle Safari", "Ritu-Seasons", highlighting and showcasing the synergy of dance, rhythms & melody to world audience.
She endeavors to demystify the complex grammar of Indian classical dance and music and make it accessible to people beyond boundaries and borders.
She founded the Chamber of Indian Performing Arts (CIPA) with the multi-pronged mission of preserving traditional music and dance repertoire while also enabling and empowering artists to collaborate, experiment and originate new ideas and interpretations, evolving as thinkers and creators.
An avid advocate for fostering a positive community impact for artists and art lovers alike, she hopes that the creative energy and its manifestations bring about communal vibrancy and purpose, harmony and happiness.
jagadeeswaran jayaprakash - secretary, music wing
Jagadeeswaran Jayaprakash received mridangam training from highly esteemed maestros of Indian classical percussion - Ghatam Vidushi Smt. Sukkanya Ramgopal, Shri B. Ganapathyraman, and the renowned Sangeetha Kalanidhi Dr. Trichy Sankaran. Over the years, he has collaborated with numerous distinguished musicians both in India and the USA.
His passion for the art form and curiosity to explore the intersection of music and technology led him to undertake graduate research at the Georgia Tech Center of Music Technology, where some of his projects included automatic identification and annotation of mridangam tani-avartanams (solo percussion with complex rhythmic phrases). He had the distinctive honor of composing percussive music with machine musicians that were showcased in "Listening Machines" concerts in 2008 and 2009.
Since 2009, Jagadeeswaran has actively served the Pacific Northwest community as a dedicated performing artist and teacher. He is the founder and director of Indian Percussive Arts Center, a premier academy which has produced outstanding young percussionists. His students have been part of several prestigious concerts throughout India and the USA and they form a vibrant group of budding young musicians who contribute to the thriving PNW music and dance scene.
In recognition of his dedicated service to the community, he was awarded the "Laya Shiromani" title by Samskriti Kala Kendra in 2023.
He is a board member of Chamber of Indian Performing Arts and in 2024, he curated the first edition of Percussive Arts Festival in Seattle, a large-scale event that explored several genres of music and brought together several musicians across varied musical styles and communities, through the art of percussion.
Beyond percussion, Jagadeeswaran has a strong theater background. His experience scripting and directing plays for his college theater group propelled him to become a core member of the hugely popular Seattle based theater group Indus Creations, where he directed thought provoking plays like "Iru Lives Oru Story". His storytelling passion extends to his percussion instrument - the mridangam - where every rhythmic phrase weaves its own story!
Anwesha das - secretary, dance wing
Anwesha Das is one of the leading practitioners Bharatanatyam of her generation. She is the prime disciple of Guru Smt. Urmila Sathyanarayanan. Critically acclaimed, Anwesha performs at Chennai Margazhi regularly as part of her annual India dance tours. She has received numerous prestigious titles from esteemed Indian cultural organizations, such as ‘Nadanamamani’ & “Natya Chudar’ from Kartik Fine Arts, ‘Yuva Kala Bharati’ from Bharat Kalachar & ‘Best Dancer’ from Cleveland Aradhana USA to name a few.
Credited with excellent reviews from eminent dance critics, Anwesha’s performances highlight the robust technique, graceful movements and effective storytelling aspects of Bharatanatyam.
In Seattle, Anwesha was honored as a Master in the Washington State Heritage Arts Apprenticeship program in 2019 and 2022 in recognition of her excellence. Anwesha is the founder and artistic director of her dance school – Natya Shakti in Bothell where she offers intensive Bharatanatyam training, which is rooted in the traditional lexicon of the ancient Indian classical dance. She is on the board of Chamber of Indian Performing Arts, which strives to build a stronger collaborative artist community in Greater Seattle area.
Sriram krishnan - treasurer
Sriram Krishnan brings with him several years of corporate leadership experience to CIPA board.