Introduction

«Everything I know I owe it all to my teachers. I’d like to express my infinite gratitude to them”.

“Everything I do today I owe it all to the support I get from my students and audience”.

“It is the everlasting diversity of the world around us and the endless variety of talented,

gifted and devoted human beings that supports me, gives me strength and inspires me”.

Milana Severskaya

• Is the first performer in Mohini Attam style in Russia (who completed the course of formal training). On September, 5, 1996 her Arangetrum was carried out in Cochin, India thanks to Mrs. Shyamala Surendran (with a support of Dharani school students), Ms. Severskaya’s teacher, parampara Kalamandalam Kutti Amma.
  
  
• Has founded the first school of Classical Indian dance (Bharat Natyam style) in Saint Petersburg, Russia
  
• Has established and opened the first school of Kalari Payatt in Russia (and the only one outside India) in 1996. Teacher- Sajan Gurukkall, Arjuna Kalari Samgham

• Has created and set up the Theatre of Mysterial Arts (2000). The theatre’s chief objectives are to introduce Russian audience with the best of classical Indian art to and to find  ways to mingle classical Indian arts with contemporary performance and various new music styles.   

Ms. Severskaya’s performances always receive very warm welcome from Saint Petersburg audience. Her talents go far beyond just perfect performance of classical Indian tradition; indeed Ms. Severskaya is a talented director, script writer and arts director of the original productions of her dance company.      

School students have performed at various opening ceremonies at the Arts Academy, Artists Union, Exhibition hall “Manezh”, Rerikh’s country museum in Izvara, festivals of Indian culture and at various events organised by the Consulate General of India in Saint Petersburg. Ms. Severskaya was an honourable guest invited to participate in official delegation to welcome Indian prime minister on his official visit to Saint Petersburg.   

Mass media attitude towards Ms. Severskaya performances is very much characterized by the following passages: Exotics in the Russian white winters, dance studies of Human and Devine, Ancient Eastern tradition as felt by a Russian woman.