Shakti School of Bharata Natyam, founded in 1977, and having completed 30 glorious years of providing instruction to over two thousand students is one of oldest and the premier institutions of Bharata Natyam in Southern California. Viji Prakash teaches the Tanjavur style of Bharata Natyam which is characterized by its grace and vigor. Several of the students have had their solo dance debuts (arangetram) and have toured India and the USA as members of the Shakti Dance Company, and have won international awards and recognition. The performing division is called the Shakti Dance Company. All performing members have had several years of training and have completed their arangetram. Several of Viji's senior students are reputed teachers and performing artists in their own right. Some of them are teachers at the Shakti School of Bharata Natyam. In addition to regular classes, students attend special residencies and camps conducted by leading dancers and Natyacharyas (dance masters). All students at Shakti participate in at least two dance recitals annually. Additional performances are usually planned for intermediate and advanced students. The Shakti Orchestra comprising of professional musicians from India and the USA provide live accompaniment for all performances. The Calender year at Shakti is divided into two quarters - Winter and Spring and one semester - Fall, for general classes. There are no general classes in the Summer months of July and August. Classes in each location is divided into three categories, beginning, intermediate and advanced. Generally, beginners come to class once a week, intermediate and advanced students come twice a week. Each class is one hour in duration. During the summer months there are two Special Intensive Dance Camps of two week duration each in July and August respectively from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Shakti School has five branches in the Los Angeles metropolitan area:
San Fernando Valley at LA Pierce College, 6201 Winnetka Ave., Woodland Hills, Ca 91371, Sunday - 9:00 am to 12:00 Noon
West Los Angeles, at 3148 Patricia Ave., Los Angeles, Ca. 90064, Wednesday - 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm, Fridays - 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm and Saturday - 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Torrance at South Bay Church of the Brethren, 2761 190th Street, Redondo Beach, Ca. 90278, Monday - 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Cerritos, at the NDM Dance Studio, 17711 South Pioneer Bl., Artesia, Ca. 90701, Tuesday - 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Orange/Irvine at The Music Room, 940 West Chapman (at the intdersection of Batavia), Orange, Ca. 92606 , Sunday - 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm
A number of activities took place in 2002 to mark the Silver Jubilee of the School. Three one-week residencies were conducted in July - September, 2002. Viji's Guru, Kalyanasundaram, conducted two residencies - one for senior and the other for intermediate students. A special dance choreography, "Nandanar Charitam", was presented by the senior students who attended the residencies, at the Torrance Performing Arts Center, Torrance. The third residency was conducted by noted Bharata Natyam dancer Ajit Bhaskaran Das of Malaysia and Viji Prakash.
During the other years the Shakti Summer Camps have been conducted by renowned gurus and dancers which include Sandhya and Kiran Subramaiam, Srilata Vinod, Prof. C. V. Chandrashekar and Sudha Chandrashekar Doraiswamy.
on Tour 2002 - 2003