Mentor Artists
The following professional, U.S.-based Indian classical performing artists have navigated various aspects of creating a thriving performance-based career in their art form within the broader arts landscape in this country, and they have a track record in teaching, offering guidance, and/or creating community towards the larger purpose of elevating their art forms. They have offered to be an inspiration and a resource to the next generation of emerging artists through Arts India US programming.

Samir Chatterjee
Tabla
Samir Chatterjee is a world-renowned tabla virtuoso, composer, educator, and cultural ambassador whose musical journey spans over five decades. A torchbearer of the Farrukhabad gharana, he has performed globally as a soloist and accompanist to India’s legendary maestros including Pt. Ravi Shankar, Ud. Vilayat Khan, Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, and Smt. Lakshmi Shankar. His cross-genre collaborations range from classical to jazz and avant-garde, with artists such as Branford Marsalis, Pauline Oliveros, Yoko Ono, and Joshua Bell. Samir is the Founder-Director of Chhandayan, an institution dedicated to preserving and promoting Indian classical music. A prolific composer and writer, his published works include A Study of Tabla and Music of India, alongside original ensemble productions blending Indian and global traditions. He is on faculty at the Manhattan School of Music, University of Pittsburgh, and The New School, and has taught at Yale, Columbia, and NYU. A deeply committed educator and humanitarian, Samir led cultural revival efforts in post-war Afghanistan and has received numerous honors, including the Pt. V.G. Jog Award, Taal Mani, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from SMIPAC Trust.

Jay Gandhi
Bansuri
Jay Gandhi is a multifaceted artist and one of the foremost contemporary voices of the bansuri (North Indian bamboo flute). A senior disciple of the legendary Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, Jay’s music reflects decades of deep study in Hindustani classical music while also drawing from jazz and other global traditions. He is an internationally touring performer, educator, adjunct professor at the CUNY Graduate Center, and a founding member of both Brooklyn Raga Massive and The Brooklyn Court, two pioneering musician collectives in New York City. Jay began his musical journey with vocal training under Smt. Kum Kum Sanyal, and later studied bansuri with Pt. Ronu Majumdar and Pt. Raghunath Seth, receiving further guidance from Pt. Vidyadhar Vyas and Pt. Nayan Ghosh. His work across genres has led to collaborations with luminaries such as Wynton Marsalis, Ravi Coltrane, Reggie Workman, Jeff “Tain” Watts, and the late Pharoah Sanders. He has appeared at major venues worldwide and on acclaimed recordings including Ragas Live Retrospective, Coltrane Raga Tribute, Alam Khan’s Grand Tapestry, and Adam Rudolph’s Ragmala. Most recently, he recorded for the forthcoming Hollywood feature Prisoners of Paradise.

Rohan Krishnamurthy
Carnatic Percussion
Dr. Rohan Krishnamurthy, as an Indian-American percussionist, composer, and educator, is one of the leading voices of Indian classical and cross-genre music in the South Asian diaspora. Acclaimed a "musical ambassador" by The Times of India, he received mridangam training from the legendary maestro, Sri. Guruvayur Dorai. Distinguished as a soloist, composer, and collaborator, Rohan performed with legendary Indian classical musicians and Grammy Award-winning global artists. Rohan leads The Alaya Project, an Indo-jazz-funk collective featuring celebrated saxophonist Prasant Radhakrishnan and keyboardist Colin Hogan. The group's recently released debut album has been praised by Jazziz Magazine, NPR, San Francisco Chronicle, and more. Rohan holds a Ph.D. in musicology from the Eastman School of Music and directs the RohanRhythm Percussion Studio with students from across the globe. Rohan is the recipient of international awards and grants including commissions from the San Francisco Arts Commission, Zellerbach Foundation, and Goethe Institute (Germany). He has taught at renowned institutions and his patented RohanRhythm drum tuning system is available worldwide.
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Roopa Mahadevan
Carnatic Vocal
Roopa Mahadevan is a leading second-generation Carnatic and crossover vocalist in the American diaspora. Hailed a “stirring voice” by the New York Times, Roopa seeks to express joy, humility, and tradition as radical – and essential - antidotes to modern life. In addition to being a multi-genre vocalist, Roopa is a teacher, dance accompanist, composer, choir director, comedienne and more. Her signature crossover project Roopa in Flux and numerous collaborations in jazz, soul, free improv, and dance/theater have taken her to venues such as Jazz at Lincoln Center, MET Museum, SFJazz, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Jacob’s Pillow, and more. Roopa is also known for her innovative leadership of the NYC-based Carnatic choir Navatman Music Collective. A Fulbright scholar trained under Asha Ramesh and Suguna Varadachari, Roopa has earned recognition for her Carnatic vocal music from Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana, which titled her “Kala Ratna” and the Music Academy, where she has performed during the prestigious December music season in Chennai. She has been in residency at Joe’s Pub, the Banff Center, Hedgebrook, and Ryder Farm, and was a soloist on Christopher Tin’s Grammy Award-winning album Calling All Dawns. In a previous avatar, Roopa worked in public health policy, following degrees from Stanford University.

Neel Murgai
Sitar
Neel Murgai is a multi-instrumental performer, composer and teacher, and Co-Artistic Director of the Brooklyn Raga Massive, a raga inspired musician's collective and 501c3 non profit. He is a graduate of Goddard College's MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts program. His journey into sitar and Indian classical music began with Pundit Ravindra Goswami in Banaras, in 1994 and has continued with Pundit Krishna Bhatt since 2000. In addition to sitar, Neel has studied overtone singing with the Buriyat performance group Uragsha and Harmonic Choir member, Timothy Hill. Western composition, Neel studied with Edgar Grana. While dedicated to Indian classical music, Neel is passionate about creating original music and contemporary cross-cultural collaborations that are rooted in his many influences and studies. Neel’s latest band Quadrature is a psychedelic raga rock outfit featuring Neel’s work with sitar and effects. They will be releasing their debut album in 2025. Neel composed and conducted for a global orchestra of 25 musicians in Brooklyn Raga Massive’s 2021 release, “In D”, an homage to minimalist maestro Terry Riley. His 2020 release “Reorientation” features his compositions in a chamber setting with Neel Murgai Ensemble as well as experiments in overtone singing and looping. Neel also directed BRM’s tribute to Pundit Ravi Shankar and live score for the film Fantastic Planet. Neel performed in the orchestra of Disney’s musical theater production of the Jungle Book, starring Andre DeSheilds. He has toured around the world with the Bill T. Jones Dance Company, performing in their multi-media show, “Blind Date". Neel has performed on Late Night with David Letterman with Wyclef Jean, Cyndi Lauper and DJ Rekha. Neel was in Will Smith’s 2022 Super Bowl commercial. He also appeared in Morgan Spurlock’s documentary of the Simpsons, performing the iconic theme song. Other artists Neel has worked with include Taylor Swift, Adam Rudolph, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Karsh Kale, Samir Chatterjee, Daniel Bernard Romain, Ellen Stewart, Sameer Gupta, Marc Cary, Jay Gandhi, Arun Ramamurthy, Laraaji, Yuerba Buena, Baba Israel, Raz Mesinai, Mission on Mars, Akim Funk Buddha, Loren Conners, Louis Bellogenis and Cosmo Vinyl. He has performed at venues ranging from the Lincoln Center and Kennedy Center to jazz clubs such as the Blue Note and at festivals around the U.S including Globalfest, Ragaslive, Art Wallah, Arts Plosure, Masala! Mehndi! Masti! and many others. Neel has composed music for numerous film, TV, video, theater and dance projects including the features, “The Yes Men Fix the World", which premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and "A Decent Arrangement". His music has been featured in the BBC series, “Holiday’s in the Danger Zone", and TBS programs, “Women of the Ink", and “Spotlights". As a teacher, Neel offers private lessons in sitar, overtone singing and percussion. He leads workshops and lecture/demonstrations combining all his skills in colleges and schools around the NYC area. Neel's group Raga Kids teaches about Indian music to toddlers offering sing-alongs of original music and kids classics.

Samarth Nagarkar
Hindustani Vocal
Samarth Nagarkar is a virtuoso singer, educator and author, known for his mastery of Khyaal, the preeminent form of Hindustani Raga music / North Indian classical vocal music. His performances are noted for their meditative artistry, technical finesse and emotive depth. Samarth has performed at major venues worldwide, including Lincoln Center NY, LearnQuest Music Conference Boston, Schoenberg Hall, LA, and NCPA, Mumbai. Samarth is the author of the acclaimed book Raga Sangeet, and has several solo and collaborative albums to his credit. As a dedicated educator and advocate for global musical dialogue, he presents lectures, courses and masterclasses at institutions like NYU, Manhattan School of Music, and Jazz at Lincoln Center. Samarth’s music represents a unique blend of three traditional gharana styles of Gwalior, Agra, and Jaipur, as a result of his rigorous training under distinguished gurus Ulhas Kashalkar and Dinkar Kaikini. He is a former scholar of the ITC Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkata. Beyond traditional Raga music, he performs with blues, jazz and Maqam musicians, African ensembles, and organic orchestras, seamlessly weaving together diverse genres and musical traditions while staying true to his craft. He is a voting member of The Recording Academy (Grammys) and has received prestigious awards like the Excellence in the Arts Award from NAKA, USA and a Fellowship from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. Samarth presently runs Raga Sangeet Creative and is a co-founder of Brooklyn Raga Massive. He pioneered the use of digital platforms like Patreon in Indian classical music for enhanced audience engagement, music education and mentorship.

Taniya Panda
Carnatic Vocal and Bharathanatyam
Taniya Panda is a Carnatic vocalist who accompanies for Bharatha Natyam arangetrams and teaches young children, while she also performs dance duets with her husband, Puneet. A completely self-made artist, Taniya began her training in the Carnatic style of Indian classical music in Toronto, Canada, from Smt. Vijayalakshmi Seenivasagam. In her early teens she moved to Chennai to take more intensive training from the acclaimed Veena Vidushi Smt. Padmavathy Ananthagopalan. Taniya is also an accomplished Bharatha Natyam dancer having undergone training with Guru A.Lakshmanaswamy. She has performed solo, duet and group productions in India, Canada and the US both as a dancer and supporting vocalist. She is currently continuing her vocal training with Kyvalya Chilla (Secunderabad). She is based in Marietta, Georgia, where she and her husband have also begun to independently present accomplished artists. Taniya is a wonderful example of using your expertise in these art forms to have a range of reach while raising a family.

Barkha Patel
Kathak
Barkha Patel is akathak dancer, choreographer, educator, and the Artistic Director of Barkha Dance Company (BDC) based in NYC. BDC aims to uphold the traditional lineage of kathak and mindfully create contemporary works that uncover new movement possibilities and means of storytelling within the form. Barkha has performed solo and ensemble works at dance festivals in India and the U.S. Her work has had the opportunity to present at venues such as Dance Theatre Harlem, Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out, Joyce Theatre, Little Island, 92Y, and Chelsea Factory among others. In India she has performed solo/duet works at Chidambaram Festival, Modhera Festival, India Habit Centre Delhi, Medai Bangalore, Hyderabad Literature Festival, and the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Center, Mumabi. Barkha was a Dance/USA Institute for Leadership mentee and a recipient of the 2023 Juried Bessie Award. Through support of the New York State Dance Force, barkha completed her first tour to western NY. She was a recipient of the Princess Grace Dance Award 2024, a finalist for the NEFA National Dance Grant, and a Harlem Stage WaterWorks Fellow where she developed a part of her new full-length work called Ramti Aave - Her Playful Arrival. She has been a recipient of residencies with Movement Research residency (‘22 - ‘24) and Topaz Arts (‘25 - ‘26). Currently she is a residency with mentor Harikishan S Nair (Toronto) through the New York State Choreographic Institute where she is exploring how to create contemporary kathak works grounded solely within a classical Indian dance context.
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Aditya Prakash
Carnatic vocal
Aditya Prakash, an award-winning musician and composer known for his powerful and expressive voice, is one of the foremost young practitioners of Karnatik music. His performances in the United States, India, and more than 15 countries are recognized for his innovative approach to composition, production, and performance. At sixteen, Aditya became one of the youngest musicians ever to tour and perform with sitar maestro Ravi Shankar, accompanying him to such prestigious stages as Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, and Disney Concert Hall. Aditya has collaborated with a diverse range of innovative artists, including sitarist Anoushka Shankar, Jazz pianist Tigran Hamasyan, electronic experimental artist Karsh Kale, and the acclaimed dancer and choreographer Akram Khan. Aditya founded the eclectic music group Aditya Prakash Ensemble, which creates a space for dialogue between Karnatik and jazz. The Ensemble’s 2020 album, “Diaspora Kid,” garnered praise from Songlines and KCRW and was featured in the top 15 albums on the Transglobal World Music Chart in May 2020. In 2021, Aditya Prakash Ensemble performed in an NPR Tiny Desk concert curated by the acclaimed GlobalFest festival. Aditya is mentored by two prolific Karnatik artists: musician, activist, author T.M. Krishna, and musician and scholar R.K. Shriramkumar. Aditya received his B.A. in Arts from UCLA’s prestigious Ethnomusicology program. Aditya’s current focus in composition is pushing boundaries within the “classical” tradition. In his 2023 album, ISOLASHUN, Aditya explores the weight of privilege and the boundaries of tradition in an entirely new creative form. Currently, Aditya is composing the music for three evening-length dance productions by the internationally renowned English choreographer Akram Khan. Audiences will hear Aditya’s music in the Academy Award-winning director Aneil Karia’s forthcoming feature film, Hamlet, starring Riz Ahmed. Aditya's most recent work is a critically acclaimed solo gig-theatre production, ROOM-i-Nation, directed and co-written by his sister and dancer/choreographer, Mythili Prakash

Prasant Radhakrishnan
Carnatic saxophone
Prasant Radhakrishnan is a versatile saxophonist whose music expresses the shared essence of Carnatic music, jazz, meditation and Self Realization. A senior disciple of Carnatic saxophone pioneer Padmashri Dr. Kadri Gopalnath since 1996 with whom he underwent gurukalavasam (training while living with the teacher), he received further advanced training from Dr. TR Subramaniam among other music masters. Studying jazz in high school and college, Prasant went on to form VidyA in the SF Bay Area, an ensemble combining the essence of Carnatic and jazz traditions. Prasant has since released several Carnatic classical, Carnatic jazz and raga meditation albums and his energetic yet soothing and peaceful style of music has been enjoyed in concerts and lecture demonstrations around the world. As a full time artist in the SF Bay Area and recipient of multiple fellowship and grant awards, he performs in his own projects as well as many collaborations with a wide variety of musical styles. Prasant also shares the path of Music and Silence for discovering our innate Peace and Self Realization.
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Arun Ramamurthy
Carnatic Violin
Arun Ramamurthy is a violinist, composer and educator based in Brooklyn, NY. Rooted in South Indian classical Carnatic music, Arun is a versatile musician, performing internationally in both traditional Carnatic and Hindustani settings, as well as blurring genres with his own innovative projects like the acclaimed Arun Ramamurthy Trio. Arun studied under the celebrated violinist brothers, Sri Mysore Nagaraj & Dr. Mysore Manjunath, the distinguished violinist Sri. Ananthakrishnan as well as many early years with western classical violinist Jim Mate. He has shared the stage with luminaries like Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna, Sudha Ragunathan, Reggie Workman, Kenny Werner, Jamey Haddad, Flute Shashank, Amir ElSaffar, Hamid Drake, Mashkoor Ali Khan, Adam Rudolph, Hamid Al-Saadi, Subhankar Banerjee, Martha Redbone, Awa Sangho amongst others. He has performed and recorded with a wide range of musical genres including Jazz, Arabic Maqam, Afro-Cuban, Malian, American folk, Western classical, and other creative and improvisational styles. Arun's music has brought him prestigious stages like Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Celebrate Brooklyn and many more. He leads the Arun Ramamurthy Trio, an ensemble that brings a fresh approach to Carnatic classical repertoire and features Arun's original composition work. Praised by All About Jazz as “a beautiful, exotic, ear-opening listening experience" ART is about to record their 2nd studio album in December 2022, featuring newly commissioned music. He also co-leads a violin duo project with wife and violinist Trina Basu, reimagining string chamber music through the lens of Indian classical raga. The duo released their debut studio album “Nakshatra” in January 2022. Other notable projects Arun is involved with include Raga Maqam (ensemble with Amir ElSaffar bridging the worlds of Raga and Maqam) and Ragmala Go: Organic Orchestra & BRM (large ensemble led by percussionist / composer Adam Rudolph). As a composer, Arun has created new works for his Trio (ART) and duo project with Trina Basu, scores for theatrical productions such as Tom Stoppard’s Indian Ink, composition for Indian classical dance, and for the pioneering musician's collective Brooklyn Raga Massive. Arun was recently commissioned by Chamber Music America’s New Jazz Works grant to create music for his ensemble, Arun Ramamurthy Trio. Arun was also commissioned through New Music USA to compose original work for Malini Srinivasan's 'Appeasing Radhika', an ambitious project investigating Devadasi lives in Indian Classical performing arts. Arun is a founder and co-Artistic Director of Brooklyn Raga Massive, a progressive genre-bending collective of musicians rooted-in and inspired-by the classical music of India. He created and produced the innovative series Carnatic Sundays at the iconic West Village haunt, Cornelia Street Cafe. Throughout his career, Arun has curated and performed in hundreds of concerts bringing together music from all over the world. Arun also is a dedicated educator, teaching Carnatic music privately to children and adult students, professional string players and instrumentalists from various genres. He conducts workshops and has held teaching-artist residencies working with student ensembles at Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Brooklyn College’s Jazz & Big Band program, NYU, Yale University, Sarah Lawrence University, and many others.

Kaustavi Sarkar
Odissi
Kaustavi Sarkar is an Odissi dancer, scholar, and educator whose work spans performance, research, and advocacy for South Asian dance. A touring soloist for over two decades, she serves as Associate Professor of Dance and Director of the Arts + Architecture Honors Program at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. Her research explores choreography and creative processes within traditional Indian aesthetics, commissioning works from leading female choreographers and publishing widely, including the book Dance Technology and Social Justice (2024) and the forthcoming Shaping S Curves: Choreographic Process in Odissi. Kaustavi is a Regional Director for the American College Dance Association, founder of the Odissi Odyssey conference—the largest gathering of Odissi artists outside India—and leads the “Dance and Community” research institute, fostering collaboration between artists, educators, and scholars.

Yamini Saripalli
Kuchipudi
Dr. Yamini Saripalli is a disciple of the late hereditary Kuchipudi gurus, Dr.Vempati Chinna Satyam and his son, Sri Vempati Ravi Shankar. Yamini trained for over two decades under her gurus and the esteemed faculty at the Kuchipudi Art Academy - Chennai. Yamini is now under the guidance of hereditary Kuchipudi guru, Dr. Vedantam Venkata Naga Chalapathi Rao. Yamini has a strong commitment to passing Kuchipudi on to future generations as well as sharing the dance form with mainstream audiences. She runs Kuchipudi Kala Nilayam, a Maryland based non-profit organization that practices, presents and promotes excellence in Kuchipudi through teaching classes, conducting lecture demonstrations / workshops and presenting performances in the USA and abroad. As a solo artist, she has performed at various esteemed venues throughout the United States, India, Mexico, Canada and the United Kingdom in addition to performing in the Chennai Dance and Music Season for many years.

Parul Shah
Kathak
Internationally acclaimed Kathak dancer and choreographer Parul Shah of the parul shah dance company expands the classical medium beyond cultural boundaries. With a focus on excellence, Shah builds upon the dance form’s mythological storytelling roots to share narratives based on her lived experiences. The nucleus of her work as a choreographer and performer has been to disrupt narratives and cultural trappings that undermine the dignity of South Asian women. Shah draws upon the rich tradition of the North Indian classical dance, Kathak, for resistance, artistry, and personal agency. Her work tells stories of women pushing against their boundaries, women who have been forgotten, and women whose labor is often invisible. To tell these stories, she has created a dance language that expands the technique of Indian dance to uproot male-dominated and Eurocentric narratives while forging resiliency and healing. Trained in India by the late groundbreaking choreographer Padma Vibhushan Kumudini Lakhia, Shah has created unique ensemble and solo works that seamlessly blend her South Asian and American identities, contributing to a richer tapestry of Asian American artistic expression. Shah has presented her work around the world and at home to critical acclaim, including City Center’s Fall for Dance Festival: NYC, the New Victory Theatre NYC, the Kennedy Center: Washington D.C, Asia Society: NYC, Jacobs Pillow, Inside/ Out series: MA, Metropolitan Museum of Art: NYC, World Music Institute: NYC, Lincoln Center/Damrosch Park: NYC, Museum of Fine Arts: Boston, the Japan Forum Foundation: Tokyo, and Suvarna Parva: India, Ahmedabad. Committed to outreach and education, Parul’s studio is home to both the parul shah dance company and her training facility, where she has been building community for more than 20 years. Central to her work is fostering awareness and dialogue through artistic creations. She is currently an adjunct professor at Montclair State University in New Jersey, a teaching artist for City Lore in New York City, and a member of the dance faculty at Kulture Kool in New Jersey. Shah has guest lectured and held residencies at several universities, including A&M University, New York University, Rutgers University, Hunter College, Barnard College, Amherst College, Vassar College, and Nichols College, among others. In addition, she has served on the faculty at Rutgers University, Marymount College, and Teachers College, Columbia University. In addition to her educational career, Shah has been a curator for over 15 years and has served as a co-curator for the Erasing Borders Dance Festival in New York City. She has also been an Artist in Residence at Mass Mocha, a Teaching Residency for The Yard, and the Fresh Tracks’ Residency at New York Live Arts. Shah earned a B.A. in Political Science from New York University and an M.A. in Dance and Dance Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is currently a doctoral student in the Ed.D. Dance Education program at Teachers College, Columbia University, through the interdisciplinary specialization track. Shah’s research focus is to challenge Eurocentric dance institutional policies and recognize diverse perspectives in dance education. Her other research interests include examining dance as a cultural construct that reflects and embodies political, social, and national ideologies.

Malini Srinivasan
Bharathanatyam
Malini Srinivasan is a third-generation Bharatha Natyam artist and the disciple of world-renowned artist Sri C.V. Chandrasekhar. She began learning Bharatanatyam at a young age with her mother Radha Srinivasan and grandmother Komalavalli Mani. She started studying the Kalakshetra style in 2000 with Smt. Savitri Jagganath Rao and performed her Arangetram (debut) under the guidance of Meena Raman. Malini grew up in Maryland, and lived in Chennai from 1999-2004 to pursue her study of dance and its allied art forms such as Nattuvangam, Carnatic vocal music, Kalaripayattu, Yoga, Sanskrit and Tamil. A critically-acclaimed soloist, Malini has presented solo Bharatanatyam to audiences in the U.S., India and Europe. She has also performed with groups including the Padmini Chettur Group, Ragamala, Rajika Puri and Dancers, Thresh, and Kala Nivedanam. Malini has choreographed solo and group Bharatanatyam pieces, including Being Becoming, Ode to Love’s Arrows, Tejas-Luminous, and Ask Hafiz. She was awarded the Dance in Queens Residency (2009) the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center Residency (2010), and the Queens Council on the Arts Individual Artist Grant (2010, 2012, 2014, 2018) and a New Music USA Grant (2016). Based in Queens, NY, Malini is committed to spreading a deep understanding of Indian classical traditions through teaching. She founded the Gitanjali Dance School in 2009. She has been a visiting artist/lecturer at Princeton University, Wellesley College, UNC Asheville, Brooklyn Friends and Colgate University. From 2006-2016, she served as an Adjunct Lecturer at the Asian & Asian-American Studies Department at SUNY Stony Brook. She is the School Programs Manager and a Teaching Artist with City Lore.

Pranamya Suri
Kuchipudi
Pranamya Suri is a Kuchipudi dancer, educator, and physician whose work bridges tradition, innovation, and science. Based in Dallas, she is the Creative Director of the Natyanjali Kuchipudi Dance School, where she continues the legacy of her mother and guru, Smt. Srilatha Suri, while shaping the next generation of artists. A soloist with over two decades of rigorous training, Pranamya has performed at renowned venues and festivals across the U.S., India, and internationally, from the Konark and Khajuraho Dance Festivals to The Bhavan in London and the Dallas Museum of Art. In addition to her artistic career, Pranamya is an interventional spine specialist and clinical researcher, bringing her deep understanding of anatomy into her pioneering Dance–Anatomy Workshops. She is also the founder of Echoes of India, a platform for social impact projects, including installing clean water systems and establishing medical clinics in rural India. Balancing medicine and dance, she embodies a rare fusion of discipline, artistry, and purpose.

Nadhi Thekkek
Bharathanatyam
Nadhi Thekkek is a dancer, choreographer, and the Artistic Director of Nava Dance Theatre. Nadhi uses the South Indian dance form of Bharathanatyam to navigate place, identity, and politics through the lens of her lived experience as a child of immigrants and an unapologetic South Asian, diasporic woman. She reimagines how Bharathanatyam can serve marginalized narratives that need to occupy space in the US right now. Her nationally touring work “Rogue Gestures/Foreign Bodies” sources community interviews, historical texts, and poetry to explore the intersections of labor, agency, and belonging in our South Asian ancestry. Nadhi’s body of work has been supported through the NEFA National Dance Project, The MAP Fund, National Endowment for the Arts, California Arts Council, San Francisco Arts Commission, and others. Through Nava, Nadhi also produces and co-facilitates the Unrehearsed Artist Residency Program, where South Asian dancemakers create art that challenges the status quo. She is one of the co-founders of Varnam Salon and serves on the board of the Western Arts Alliance. Nadhi has learned Bharathanatyam from Guru Smt. Sundara Swaminathan (Kala Vandana Dance Company, San Jose) and Guru Smt. Padmini Chari (Nritya School of Dance, Houston). As of 2012, she has continued training under Guru Sri. A. Lakshmanaswamy (Chennai).