Pallavi’s initial inception into Bharatanatyam at the young age of five, began under the tutelage of her mother Shalini Shivashankar. As a young child, Pallavi was also privileged to have been trained in the rudiments of this dance style by two other teachers of exceptional calibre, both, proficient dancers from Kalakshetra-Ranjini Ganesan and Lekha Sasi in Bangalore and Bahrain respectively.

Pallavi thus received a strong foundation in Bharatanatyam which has moulded and shaped her current style. For the past several years Pallavi has continued to imbibe the techniques and nuances of this dance style from her mother. She has also started exploring other classical dance styles and has begun her training in Mohiniattam and Odissi. Pallavi has presented several solo and group recitals on various stages in India and abroad.