Guru Renuka Srinivasan is the Founder and Artistic Director of Tala Shruti School of Dance, where numerous dancers have trained under her expert guidance for almost 25 years.  An accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer, Renuka had her training in the Vazhuvoor Ramaiah Pillai style. She had her advanced training in Adyar Music College in Madras, India under Pakkirisami Pillai.  Later, she received her Diploma in Dance from Nrityashetra School of Dance, where she trained under Kalaimamani Chamundeeswari in the Dandayudapani style of dance. During that time, she had the opportunity to dance alongside her guru at several performances in India. Since 1980, she has performed at several venues in the U.S., England, India, and Sri Lanka to a diverse audience.  She has conducted dance workshops at private schools and colleges in the U.S, including teaching at Rutgers University. She currently teaches Bharatanatyam at her studio in Fords, New Jersey. Additionally, she has worked with professional dancers to fuse techniques from the East and West. One such collaboration was for a production of Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book, titled Jangala. This production was performed both in New Jersey and in 2019 in California, and received wide coverage in the media. Renuka received a special recognition and a certificate from the National Foundation for the Endowment of the Arts, specifically for her mentorship of her students that has resulted in some of them being recognized as emerging, talented artists.

Additionally, Renuka is a make-up artist and fashion consultant, with a special focus on ethnic complexions.  She underwent training in both India and the U.K., under the expert guidance of several internationally renowned make-up artists.  She has assisted fashion photographers in New York and London as a make-up artist. Her work has been published in several world- renowned fashion magazines.

Renuka’s latest venture is a company called Miss Laksh-My. This is a variation of the name of the Hindu Goddess of Wealth. The company’s philosophy is to provide unique items that embody the virtues of grace, strength and beauty. Each item of the brand has had a unique journey from the heart of the designer, to the hands of the creator and finally to the consumer. It is a journey filled with love and hope and one that cherishes the future of the planet we are bequeathing to the next generation.

Miss Laksh-My takes pride in sourcing 100% organic materials, as well as in sustaining the artistic endeavors of traditional weavers and craftsmen, who have been doing this for generations.