Explore Watchung, NJ

The Watchung Arts Center (WAC) thrives in historic Watchung in Somerset County, NJ. The nonprofit, volunteer-run Center excels in cultivating an eclectic mix of professional and emerging artists in the performing and visual arts. Quality works in fine arts, exciting music, and comedy events are presented to enthusiastic audiences. Appreciation of painting, photography, and music from classical to folk to jazz to coffee house, comedy, theater, and mind/body arts is fostered through classes, workshops, and performances. All are structured to catch and expand the interest of youngsters of an early age to seniors of any age.We, at the WAC, encourage active membership, community involvement, and inspirational discussions that only a multidisciplinary arts organization can achieve. The WAC is unique in New Jersey due to the depth and variety of art experiences and educational opportunities that it offers. The Watchung Arts Council was founded in 1978. It operates in a charming, 125-year-old building, part of which was the original schoolhouse for the village of Watchung.

Smt. Premini ( Bremini) Thanan, Founder and Artistic Director of Bharatha Arangam Dance Institute. A motivated dance teacher and an inspired choreographer. She has been teaching bharatanatyam in New York, New Jersey area for over 20 years and has earned the title “Natiya Kala Vithahar” and “ Natiya Kalaamani” . A lifelong student of dance, Premini started learning Bharatanatyam at the age of 4, under Kala Bhushanam Smt. Leela Selvaraja, (Disciple of Shreemathi Rukmini Devi Arundale who was a dancer and choreographer of the Indian classical dance form of Bharatanatyam and who laid the foundations of the legendary dance school Kalakshetra) and continued her training with NatyaKalaimani Smt. Malini Suresh, Disciple of renowned maestro Erampu Suppiah, who founded the Kalabhavanam Dance School in Kokuvil, Jaffna, Sri Lanka and performed her arangetram in front of a pack of audience at Kalaimanram, Sri Lanka. Premini was amazed at her Guru’s dedication and devotion to the art took to it even during her younger days. Her Guru’s introduced her to the stage very early, she participated in various dance dramas and thematic presentations and took many leading parts and won many dance competitions regionally and National level. After relocating to the USA, Premini had the privilege to continue her post professional training in dance under the eminent Guru Padmashree Adyar K. Lakshman Sir of chennai, who also was one of the foremost disciples of the legendary dance school, Kalakshestra, Founded by Shrimathi Rukmini Devi Arundale and it is natural that Premini imbibed the kalakshetra style of dance. And performed internationally such as Srilanka, India, Europe and most prestigious places in the USA including United Nations Headquarters, New York and Lincoln Center and CMTD, NY (Center for Traditional Music and Dance), And Yale university etc .