Bharatanatyam in Lithuania
“Dance, for me, is a kind of personal realization. When you can explore your own thoughts and feelings, you become aware of yourself and that is connected with inner perfection. I feel that, maybe from some kind of past life, dance has came to me again…I find myself in dance.”
Irina Kushelevich is a Lithuanian Bharatanatyam dancer and Aikido master blending Eastern European and Indian classical traditions. With a foundation in ballet and Aikido, she discovered Bharatanatyam at 20, training under acclaimed guru Rajyashree Ramesh.
Irina’s performances and choreography integrate elements of Aikido and European culture, creating unique fusion pieces that connect deeply with diverse audiences. She debuted her arangetram at Chennai’s Music Academy and now leads a branch of her guru’s dance academy in Lithuania, inspiring a new generation of Bharatanatyam dancers while expanding the art’s global reach.