> The Study Room | Apoorva Jayaraman

The Study Room

My Teaching

An alternate space for the study of Bharatanatyam

The focus within the classroom will be on cultivation of process and methods, tools that will fuel and guide one to keep the fire of seeking alive

Process-Based Learning

 The Study Room's endeavour will be to shift the focus from product-based to process based learning

Rigour lies in challenging comfortable notions and dredging up the silt to find clarity. We encourage the philosophy of Ask, Never Settle

Enabling and Empowering

 At The Study Room we believe that any classroom of higher learning has to be a place of aspiration, whose purpose is to enable you to learn even beyond it.

Time is a golden ingredient in art, and at The Study Room we look at methods to nurture the time spent in quality, rather than quantity.
The Study Room

Frequently Asked Questions

About The Study Room

The Study Room is an alternate space for the study of Bharatanatyam that endeavours to bring traditional learning methods to the modern and virtual mind space. The Study Room offers short term virtual courses which are conducted through the year, and taught by Apoorva Jayaraman, with focus on a deep study of technique, practice, and internalisation of the art form.

Yes. All details about The Study Room can be found here : http://apoorvajayaraman.in/thestudyroom.html

The Study Room’s vision is to shift the focus of learning from product-based to process-based learning outcomes.

The focus of The Study Room courses is on process, more than the product. The goal is not to merely learn and memorise a choreography. The course will go into a detailed study of various aspects of the piece including understanding of the lyrics, exploration of background, analysis of rhythmic aspects, intent of choreography etc. The student must also be prepared to engage in less-commonly expected modes of study including reading of study material, watching video samples and analysing them, undertaking simple and basic research exercises etc.

The intent is to provide an experience of traditional learning methods in a micro-capsule, encouraging a healthy attitude towards learning of the arts. Although some courses may include learning an item, the focus will be on learning aspects of the craft and internalising the art form, rather than on the item.

The course will primarily help you hone your technique, develop self-practice methodologies and delve deeper into the study of Bharatanatyam. The course does not intend to prepare you for a performance.

The Study Room is not a conventional dance class, nor is it a replacement for regular training. It is a space through which Apoorva Jayaraman is able to devote her time to working with interested and passionate students of dance to pursue through short term courses.

About the Courses

The Study Room offers various short-term online learning modules, each with a carefully crafted intent. There are currently four courses on offer:
  1. SteepEd
  2. GlazeEd
  3. InsideOut
  4. SeEd
  5. RefractEd

Sessions are primarily held online.

All sessions are conducted on Zoom.

We have optimised the online learning method to as effective as can be. You can see testimonials from previous students here, to learn of their experience learning at The Study Room.

Class days and times are picked after the selection of applicants, to suit the time zones of all applicants in a given batch.

A group will comprise of between 8 and 12 students. At The Study Room we believe in keeping the group sizes compact in order to enable individualised attention and full participation in sessions.

A prospectus will be made available via email upon request. Please use this link to submit an enquiry form. The prospectus will contain all relevant information about your chosen course (such as Course Overview, Fees, Deadlines, Mode of Engagement, Eligibility, Duration etc)

Fee details will be made available via email upon request. Please use this link to submit an enquiry form.

SteepEd is a one-to-one format of learning that is tailor-made individually to zoom in on skill gaps and work in-depth on a chosen area of technique. It will offer a focused engagement towards building conscious competence and self-aware practice. The course duration is 3 months with 2 classes per week.

GlazeEd is an immersive small group learning module that focusses on specific goals while learning to uncover the many layers of a repertoire piece. The course duration is 3 months with 2 classes per week.

InsideOut is an in-depth learning module exploring the Pada Varnam. The course will cover a detailed study of various aspects of the varnam including understanding of the lyrics, exploration of background, analysis of rhythmic aspects, intent of choreography etc. The course duration is 6-8 months with 2 classes per week.

SeEd is an orientation course for young learners of Bharatanatyam, designed to give students a flavour of the journey that lies ahead if they choose to study Bharatanatyam further. Coming in 2023.

RefractEd is an exclusive small group learning module for abhinaya, through which we will study a collection of padams from the traditional Bharatanatyam repertoire. The course duration is 10 months with 1 class per week.

About Applying

  • Enquire: Applicants are requested to submit the online enquiry form. In return you will receive a detailed prospectus.
  • Apply: After you have sent us the enquiry, you will be asked to complete a formal application for the course you are interested in. Kindly note that applications are only open during specific times in the year.

Yes! There is a selection process. Acceptances to the courses are based on a very carefully curated application that students are required to submit before a deadline. The application form is primarily for us to get a glimpse of you as a person and your journey with dance thus far. It is not intended as an assessment or judgement of your current skill. We are interested in understanding if your approach and aspirations are those that can be a good fit to what we offer at The Study Room.

Not necessary. You can apply to more than one course at a time, if interested. But bear in mind that the demand of each course on your time, body and mind is intense.

All students who apply will be notified of their decisions within a specified time frame.

  • Acceptance letter via email : Accepted students will be notified via email. Please read this email carefully as it will contain all relevant details about the course and will require you to act on some points like signing of waiver forms, choosing course time slots and payment of the course registration fees.
  • Orientation : You will be invited to a mandatory online orientation session. This will be a short meeting for you to meet Apoorva and the other students in your batch, and also acquaint yourself with the various rules and procedures of the course.

Yes. At The Study Room we value every single application that comes in and go through them carefully. If we are unable to offer you a spot this cycle, we will contact you via email to let you know.

About Eligibility

The Study Room is for serious students of Bharatanatyam. It is also an intensive course with a rigorous demand on time, body and mind. A minimum of 8 years of prior training is recommended.

Although online, the courses are conducted with the full rigour of in person classes. If you do not have space to dance during class or are experiencing any injury that requires you to rest, we recommend that you not apply for the present cycle. It is important that you are able to lend your active participation during each class.

At The Study Room we make a conscious effort to keep the group sizes small. Despite many applications each cycle, we are only able to accommodate a small selection. If you drop out of the course mid way, this is unfair to some other interested and passionate student who could have otherwise been offered the same spot. So we request that you please make sure you are able to commit to the entire duration of the course before choosing to apply

If you have had a long break in your recent journey of Bharatanatyam, we recommend that you take sometime to return to regular practice nad training, before applying to The Study Room. The Study Room courses are rigorous and assume a certain comfort level in Bharatanatyam, both in terms of practice and theory. It may not be the ideal option for those looking to refresh/brush up their knowledge and skills.