Bharatnatyam, a classical dance form is a combination of the arts of the stage, music, poetry, color, rhythm, such a rich cultural tradition requires years of discipline, both mental and physical, hardwork and dedication.

Uma Tilak brings to Bharatnatyam all these qualities enhanced by vigorous training under the best Guru's like Soudamini Rao, Sucheta Joshi, Guru Mani, Shri Mani Bhaskar who followed their traditional styles.

With over 25 years of training Umaji combines the elegance grace and suppleness of Pandanaelour style with the distinctive ability to express all shades of emotion with sencetivity and intuition.

Since her Arangetram at the tender age of Nine, Umaji has performed extensively all over India. Within few years she has become a recognized performer as well as successful teacher and choreographer.

It is with this approach and dedication that Umaji established her school 'Kalaniketan' which is a home of art. Hundreds of students have performed their Arangetram achieving a high level of proficiency. Few item-descriptions include 'Ramayan', 'Mahabharat', 'Shiv-Shakti Natnam','Raas-Vilas' and 'Tulsi-Mahatmyam'.

Umaji is a very dedicated teacher, performer, choreographer. During the programmes she sings and also plays 'Nattuvangam'.
Mrs Uma Tilak, a 'Nrittya-Visharad' is graduate in Science, and she has published the hand books on Bharatnatyam in Sanskrit, English and Marathi and her wish is now to work on Guru-Shishya parampara in Pune.

She has the rarest combination of singing, dancing and writng, well blended within her.
While teaching dance she demands perfection and herself takes pain to see that each of her student is really doing it from one's own heart.

Not only dance but she teaches the right normal sitting, standing posture when students are not dancing and also the way they should present themselves in public or any other places.
She insists all the students on becoming a good human-being , a responsible citizen of this beautiful motherland ,only then can they become good artists.

Before the class, she teaches physical exercises which includes stretching, few warm-ups, yoga excercises, minutes of meditation which is important to increase students concentration. she always urges them to practice these at home also, as they help students in maintaining Aramandi.

She has asked them to maintain practice note-book keeping day-to-day records and getting it signed from their guardian. She checks this book every week and the guardians are requested to make sure that kids really do it.

Quite often she repeats her childhood experiences, the tough training that they were made to undergo by their Guru's, just to encourage her students and get them do the practice more enthusiastically.
She always praises all her Great Guru's and her Mother due to whom she is today at a very high position in world of Art.

During the entire class she always checks 'Anga-Shuddhi' of students which includes elbow positions, hand-mudras, complete Aramandi, a smiling face with chin perpendicular to the ground. Without these basic criterias fulfilled by each of the students, she never proceeds furthur.

In this modern world where people try to make as much money as possible by all means, Mrs Uma Tilak has seen to it that even lower-midde class families are able to pay the fees by keeping the charges reasonably low.

Mrs Uma Tilak is teaching dance since 1984 as she loves imparting her knowledge.
For Arangetram, she and her husband Shri Vishvajit Tilak do all the arrangements right from searching a temple to stage decoration, going to down south and purchasing all the sari's, costumes, getting them stitched, jewellery, make-up, almost everything in very minimal costs without making any profit.

Her daughter, Priyadarshini is also learning from her for last 8 years and she has also commanded the perfection in this art like her mother in a very young age.