Dr. Bindu Shankar is the Guru and Director of Vrindavan Indian Dance Academy (VIDA). Dr. Shankar founded VIDA upon relocating to the Bay Area, California in 2005. She is a dedicated expert in this ancient art form and is deeply passionate about sharing its rich tradition with future generations, and has over 30 years of experience in teaching Bharatanatyam.

Dr. Shankar is a graduate of the prestigious Kalakshetra Foundation in Chennai, India, where she trained under eminent Gurus such as Sri M.R. Krishnamurthi, Sri Balagopal, Smt. N.S. Jayalakshmi, and Smt. Krishnaveni Lakshmanan. She performed her arangetram at Kalakshetra under the guidance of her esteemed Guru, Smt. Sarada Hoffman. 

In addition to her expertise in Bharatanatyam, Dr. Shankar holds a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in Art History from Ohio State University. Her dissertation focused on dance imagery in temples across Tamil Nadu, specifically examining the 108-Karana Sculptural Program, which depicts 108 key dance movements. This research offered profound insights into how these sacred 108 dance arrangements are integrated into temple architecture and iconography highlighting their agency in communicating movement, meditation, ritual, and transformation.

Dr. Shankar lives in San Ramon, California with her husband, Shankar, their daughter, Sandhya, and her dog, Kona.

A Tribute to Sarada Hoffman (1929–2025)

Smt. Sarada Hoffman was an esteemed and distinguished Bharatanatyam dancer and teacher, trained at Kalakshetra under Rukmini Devi Arundale. Renowned for her precision, discipline, and deep commitment to tradition, she played a pivotal role in shaping generations of dancers through her teaching, including our own Guru, Dr. Bindu Shankar. Hoffman’s legacy endures through the many artists she mentored and her lasting influence on Bharatanatyam.