Ushasree (Josyula) Devaraju, born in an artistic family of musicians, in fact her first guru is her mother Srimati Josyula Kamala Subbarao. Later she had her formal education from Srimati Samrajam Ramana Rao , Sri Kalaimamani Radhakrishnan, Dr.V.S. Radhika. Right now she is under guidance of Sri Pasumarthi Ramalinga Sastry, Head of the Department, Central University of Hyderabad. She has initial training in Vazhuvoor style of Bharatanatyam and now practices,performs and teaches Kalakshetra style of Bharatanatyam.

During her stay in India she has performed for eminent organisations like Rama Gana Sabha Hyd,Andhra Pradesh state government cultural affairs program, Thyagaraja sabha Vijayawada,At felicitation of Dr. KiranBedi for her Magsaysay international award and many more small events around Hyderabad.She collaborated with Kuchipudi dancer Prafulla Valluri and presented Bhamakalapam where Ushasree Played Krishna.During her short stint in Central university ,she is part of a Dance drama Ramavilasam where she performed Kuchipudi.

Ushasree now been conducting her dance school Viswa Natya Niketan of Bharatanatyam,named after her spiritual guru Viswayogi Viswamji Maharaj of Guntur,from past thirteen years in Omaha,Nebraska USA in which seven of her students successfully completed Arangetram. To inculcate higher standards in dance students of Omaha, She is organising Bharatanatyam as well as Kuchipudi workshops by Sri Pasumarthy Ramalinga Sastry and Shijith Nambiar from India and attends intensive Bharatanatyam camp at Yogaville, Virginia conducted by Sri V.P .Dhananjayan and Sri.Shanta Dhananjayan.

Ushasree has initiated an Indian Classical dance festival called“Nrityotsav” for Hindu temple Omaha, Nebraska and invited many eminent artists from USA and India. She has successfully conducted this show for 10 years now. As a part of 6^th year ,Ushasree organised a dance drama “Shakti” concept by Sri Sreedhara Akkihebbalu,for Hindu temple for which she is the Director.As a part of Community out reach her students have been participating in multicultural events of Schools, Convention of interracial work ethics and performed in presence of Mayor Mike Fahey, Retirement homes, Charity Fund raisers in Omaha and Lincoln. Apart from above her dance school has supported any requirement of Hindu Temple and Indian Association of Nebraska in any such events.She along with her students performed a Kuchipudi dance drama MahishasuraMArdini along with Jyothi Chintalapudi for her dance school production under the direction of Sri Pasumarthy Venkateswara Sarma.

Ushasree’s main objective is to perform, practice and teach Bharatanatyam in Kalakshetra Style in its pristine form.Her teachings have choreographies of great masters like Smt. Rukmini devi Arundale,Sri Adyar Lakshman,Sri Dhananjayan and Smt Shanta Dhananjayan and Pasumarthi Ramalinga Sastry,her guru.She has choreographed many dance pieces and are listed below are few.For her 10^th School Anniversary ,she has choreographed Ganesha Dance drama for her students.

Apart from Classical Dance, Ushasree has studied in India, Bachelors in Computer science from Loyola Academy, Secunderabad and Master’s in Business Administration in Finance from Jawaharlal Nehru technological University, Hyderabad.She resides her husband Sushant Devaraju and her daughters Pranita Devaraju and Niharika Devaraju. Both her daughters are learning Bharatanatyam from her.

Ushasree Devaraju

3204 N 169th Av

Omaha,NE-68116.

viswanatya@gmail.com