Kamalaksi Rupini (Karen Veloso)
Disciple of B. Bhanumati since 2007, when she traveled to India for the first time to go deep into the Bharatanatyam, which she has been studying and practicing regularly since 2004 under the instruction of Professor Eliza Pierim. Bhanumati, who came from a family of musicians and art supporters, learned to dance with one of the biggest names in Indian dance, Dandayudhapani Pillai, and the devadasi (dancing priestess) Venkatalakshamma. She has been teaching the dance for nearly thirty years and has received numerous awards for her contributions to the art and her competence, being considered the living encyclopedia of the Bharatanatyam. Kamalaksi also had the opportunity to learn from great artists such as Janaki Rangarajan, Shivagami Vanka, Mithun Shyam and Anuradha Shindhe, and had the opportunity to live for some time in the most sacred dance town, Chidambaram, to learn from Kanagambhujam, who is probably the last devadasi still alive. Graduated in a BA in Performing Arts, she wrote in her masters the dissertation "Indian Classical Dance according to the masters, the scriptures and the practitioners". Kamalaksi also has training and experience in movies and has learned many other dance styles since childhood. Since 2007 she has been going to India at least once a year to go deeper into the dance with her guru, teach dance and perform at important festivals such as the Jhulana Utsava of Konark City, the Cuttack Mahotsav, the Sathyabhama festival, among others, besides having already performed at the most important dance festival of India, the Natyanjali of Chidambaram. In 2018, she made a one-year residency in the country, furthering her study of the Bharatanrityam style with guru Shraddha Kapoor. She received several awards and titles, such as the important Nritya Ratna (meaning "dance jewel"), conferred to some outstanding dancers by the Government of India. Kamalaksi also holds the
Bhakti Shastri title of proficiency in Indian philosophy, which she studies and practices under the spiritual guidance of guru Jayapataka Swami.