Kalashri Asha Gopal is the Founder/Director of the Arathi School of Dance. Kalashri Asha teaches the Pandanallur style of Bharata Natya, learned under eminent teachers, Guru Muthiah Pillai, Guru Kittappa Pillai and Professor U. S. Krishna Rao. She is a distinguished dancer and teacher. She has represented the Governments of Karnataka and India as cultural ambassador, giving performances in Sikkim for King of Sikkim and in Canada for Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau. She has had the privilege of performing for two former Presidents of India and the former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and has given memorable performances in Europe, Mexico and the USA.

Kalashri Asha Gopal has been honored with the 'Abhinaya Saraswathi' award, by the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Cambodia. Among other coveted, distinguished awards, Kalashri Asha has been privileged to receive are: 'Singar Mani' title from Sur Singar Samsad, Mumbai (1969), NRI Excellence award in London, England (1993), Karnataka 'Kalashri' award from Sangeet Natak Academy (1999), and Citizen of the Year award from the Asian American Association of Arizona (2000).

Arathi School of Dance was started in 1981 in Phoenix and classes are currently offered in Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona. In 2016, during its 35th year, the school graduated the 200th student. Kalashri Asha Gopal is in the Guinness Book of World Records for having graduated the most number of bharatnatyam students as signified by arangetram performances. Kalyani is her 245th graduate.