vidyA nAma narasya rUpamaDhikaM pracchanna guptaM dhanaM |
vidyA bhOgakarI yashaH sukhakarI vidyA gurUNAM guruH ||
(Bhartrihari)

Knowledge adds to one's beauty. This hidden treasure yields fame and happiness. Knowledge is the teacher of teachers.

Kalavaridhi is a Sanskrit word, meaning Ocean of Art. Art is like the ocean - boundless, mysterious, and intriguing. A lifetime is hardly sufficient to explore any art form to its fullest. The experience of art is truly humbling; the more you learn, the less you know. In art, the journey is itself the destination.

Founding Kalavaridhi was the natural progression of Sheela's artistic journey. Through art, dreams are transformed into feelings. Expression of feelings creates communication. The journey of exploring one's innermost feelings brings a whole new sense of self and self-esteem. Sheela aims to share the profundity of art with her students, through Bharatanatyam.

At Kalavaridhi, an alliance of Nrityakalmandiram, Sheela builds upon her gurus' teaching methods, creatively adapting them to each student. Following the traditional curriculum for Bharatanatyam, Sheela teaches both the theoretical as well as practical aspects at each level. She draws upon real-life comparisons to help communicate depth of feeling. This mode of teaching is especially employed when teaching Abhinaya (emotive aspect), to bring forth subtlety and passion.