Shiva Tala Institute is a comprehensive school of Indian classical dance. Building confidence through the study of dance, music, and theory, guru Gayathri Suswaram has created a community of students and parents. Through innovative choreography and dedicated instruction, guru Gayathri Suswaram and the staff at Shiva Tala Institute of Bharatanatyam have developed a competitive, award-winning program, and strive to empower girls to be strong, and thoughtful individuals.

Extremely talented & a very good teacher. Unique choreography & the school has won numerous awards over the years in competitions around the state. We are very happy & wish Gayathri & all students great success.

Thank you to the entire staff of Shivatala Institute of Bharathanatyam for creating a wonderful environment of classical dance. Guru Gayathri’s enthusiasm and talent is so amazing and we are delighted to tell everyone about you! Our daughter loves attending all of her classes. Keep up the great work!

With the perfect mix of discipline and fun Gayathri Higashide instills in her students a passion to preform dance that will transcend you to another level. She has the most creative mind, choreographing Indian classical dance to many different sound tracks. Being a student to such a down to earth, talented, and charismatic guru is an honor!

Nakshatram (Zodiac Science) What a mesmerizing show by Shivatala at Bridgewater Temple. The best show . It was like a Broadway show and unique in style.

An excellent school with an excellent teacher. Gayathri Higashide has a real passion for Bharatanatyam which shows in her students performances and love for the art. Her innovative ideas and creativity make the schools productions all the more mesmerizing.

Great school to learn dancing and the performances are great to watch! Keep up the good work! =]

Ok, where do I start with Gayathri and her school?? What a fantastically creative director she is!!! She caters to the students of today with exceptionally beautiful choreography! I had the chance to see her shows in the past two years and frankly, Ive never seen any production as unique and well balanced combination of tradition with the contemporary without sacrificing the basic fundamentals of the art form. Students are so respectful to their guru, such a discipline and such a fun school! As a dancer myself, I wish I had attended Gayathris school at a younger age!!

A dancer is only as great as their passion for the art. Passion is what flows throughout the school, from Gayathri to her students and their parents. For the past 7 years, Gayathri has grown the school from just three or four students to over 100. She has choreographed unique and beautiful classical Bharatnatyam pieces infused with many different styles such as traditional Japanese music and other styles of Indian dance. Anyone would lucky to be under the direction of such a talented artist.

Best decision I have ever made! Shiva tala institute has amazing performances with very talented dancers, from almost all ages, classically trained by the compassionate, highly skilled, and fantastic guru, Gayathri Higashide. She puts all her effort, strength, patience, and much much more to train and inspire her students. The students learn more than just dance, they learn to love it and excel in it.

Lovely environment and teachers for honing the art of bharatanatyam .

Shiva Tala is an amazing Bharatanatyam school that stays true to the sacredness of the art form while showcasing its beauty in the most creative and imaginative ways. The director, Gayathri, is one of the most talented and hard working gurus, thus her students are filled with passion for the art form, as well.This past June, I had the pleasure of seeing her showcase of Akshar Sanatana which included highlights of Lord Krishnas life and the Mahabharata and my family and I were blown away and left speechless at the end of the show. The choreography and imagination were simply stunning. Gayathri is such a talented artist and the students danced brilliantly.With the perfect combination of authenticity and creativity, Shiva Tala is truly a marvelous school of Bharatanatyam.

Gaythri Higashide is an amazing teacher who is a great older sister and friend to the students. She is very disciplined and passionate for dance. It is the students privilege to be in Gayathri Higashides dance school, Shiva Tala Institute of Bharatanatyam.

Amazing Amazing !!! Shivatala Institute is the place from where my daughter started moving her legs on rhythm. Each and every performances are unique and colorful which indicates the dedication, efforts, hard work of Gayathri and her students. Gayathri and her team doe not just take care of dance but the way we ( the parents) do make up to kids, the way we dress them to do their best. Shivatala institute is getting better every year in terms of organizing the Annual show and other events.I feel proud for taking the right decision to join the Shivatala Family.

My daughter has been Gayathri student for last 6 years or so. Gayathri takes a personal interest in all her students and constantly demands perfection from them. And as always the Annual Shows are a hit, as her choreography is EXCELLENT! She is very innovative and is able to bring out the best in her students, as young as 5 year olds to college age. Being part of Shivatala school of Bharatnatyam, I really appreciate all that Gayathri does for all of our children.

Last year this school competed in the IAF competition in New Jersey. Out of seven events the school came back with seven trophies. All students placed in the top three places with five first place awards.The director, Gayathri drives perfection in her students yet all of the students in this school look forward to showing up for class.One parent told me that her daughter who was seven years old would wake up, eat, get dressed and then wake her own parents up because she was so excited for her early Saturday morning class.Gayathri is able to instill this discipline in her students by continuallly pushing for perfection while maintaining a healthy sense of humor. Oftentimes her students can be heard laughing, even when if they are exhausted from preparing for their annual show.Shiva Tala Institute is very organized, all parents receive a syllabus containing a summary of all work to be executed throughout the year. Parents are included in discussion groups on WhatsApp so that they are aware of what their children are working on. Gayathri spends twice as much time with her students than many other teachers in the area. The school has a proven track record of excellence. She has sent out students from all different age groups to competitions and consistently come back with high marks from the judges on ALL items and has ALWAYS returned with at least one FIRST PLACE trophy EVERY YEAR.Gayathris annual shows are always captivating and creative. Every student makes it on stage to perform in at least one composition.Every year Gayathri organizes an awards ceremony where students are selected for various awards. Students are awarded based on real work they have done or genuine accomplishments. The award ceremony is usually a fun and relaxed atmosphere it is a small party to relax after an invariably stressful (but fun) annual show.Last year the award ceremony was held at Roosevelt Park, it featured a short dance performance, snacks, music and of course the distribution of awards. All students were polite and respectful throughout the ceremony and enjoyed spending time with their friends afterwards.Students at Shiva Tala Institute get wonderful understanding of the theory and practice of Bharatanatyam but they also learn confidence, discipline, focus andstructure. Students coach each other in order to better understand their own shortcomings and learn how to accept constructive criticism. Students develop lifelong habits that will aid them in their career and life even after they graduate and perform their arangetram.Gayathris Shiva Tala Institute of Bharatanatyam is a wonderful school. The director has done a fantastic job and continues to surpass expectations and innovate. If you are lucky enough to have your childbe accepted into this dance school, know that this dance school is a real gem.

Great school for Bharathanatyam..

Excellent teaching

Amazing Place!