Jayalakshimi had a passion for dance and music at an early age. Recognising her deep yearning for the arts, her parents brought her from Singapore to Chennai, India to study Bharata Natyam at Kalakshetra when she was just 14 years of age. Kalakshetra became her home. She graduated from Kalakshetra in 1967, after five years of intensive training in Pandanallur bani, now known as Kalakshetra style. While studying Bharata Natyam, she was trained in Carnatic music by the late Budalur Krishnamurthy Shastri who was also the principal of the Carnatic College in Chennai.

Worthy of note, during her time at Kalakshetra, Jayalakshimi was privileged and honoured to have been mentored by her guru, the Founder and Principal of Kalakshetra, the late Rukmini Devi Arundale, credited for the renaissance of the Bharata Natyam dance form. She has been named in India Today’s list of ‘100 People Who Shaped India.’

‘’ I am grateful to my loving parents for their support and for giving me this opportunity. My heart felt gratitude to all my gurus (teachers) for teaching me this beautiful art. To this day, late Rukmini Devi Atai, our principal, founder of Kalakshetra and pioneer for Bharata Natyam in India is my most admired and respected mentor. She lovingly called me Chettiponnu.‘’