Jothi Raghavanis a master teacher, choreographer, and performer of Bharatha Natyam, a revered classical South Indian dance form. Intricate footwork along with body movements, language of hand gestures, facial expressions, and interpretive enactments are the most important elements of Bharatha Natyam. Jothi received her earliest training from her mother, Vimala Ramanujam a professional dancer in Chennai, India. Later, she studied for many years with Mr. S. K. Rajarathnam, acknowledged as one of the great masters ofBharatha Natyam. As is customary, the training was done with the master visiting the student's home every day and teaching for several hours at a time. She recalls, "He taught using a wooden plank and a stick to beat the rhythmic patterns, singing using verbalized rhythmic syllables. I also learnt vocal Carnatic music and to play the veena."

Raghavan has performed extensively throughout India, the Far East, and the United States. As a performer and choreographer she has received many awards, including a 1996 Choreographers Fellowship from The National Endowment for the Arts.

A pioneer in bringing the Bharatha Natyam tradition to New England, she founded Nrityanjali in 1977. It remains one of New England's premiere training grounds for South Indian classical dance. Under her able guidance, generations of students have acquired the demanding skills of South Indian classical dance. The school has had over 80 arangetrams in the past 37 years of its existence.