ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Nitya Narasimhan
“My dance is a reflection of who I am. With every lesson life sends my way, with every breath and every situation that I allow myself to be affected by, I evolve as an artist. All of life enriches, informs, furthers and deepens my practice. The only and natural response of my body to all stimuli is to continue dancing. For when I dance, I turn into a better version of me”
Nitya Narasimhan, is a bharatanatyam dancer whose tryst with this rich art form began at the tender age of 4. She currently resides and practices out of California, USA. She is the artistic director of the “Prayukti Arts“, a community dedicated in nurturing quality Indian Art education and appreciation in the Bay Area.
Nitya is a graceful, nimble and expressive solo performer who regularly presents her work across podiums and festivals both in the US and India. Some of the most noteworthy ones being – Yuva Bharati, Bay Area ; Harmony Live Music and Dance Festival, Chicago ; HHII Dance Festival, Santa Barbara ; Brahma Gana Sabha ; Parthasarathy Swami Sabha, Chennai ; Cleveland Thyagaraja Utsav ; Navatman Baithak Series, NYC. Her solo productions “Maathe” and “Aatmavan” premiered in the Bay Area and were presented in multiple locations after. She received the Dancers Group CA$H grant in 2020 as a funding towards creating new work. Nitya has also curated and been part of many virtual endeavors nourishing and sharing her art through the virtual medium.
Nitya founded the “Prayukti Collective”, a dance company through which she hopes to create ensemble work and take the vision of Prayukti Arts further. The collective presented “Deflowering” – a breakdown of the traditional Alarippu, speaking of women abuse, oppression, inequality, bias for the Broad Statements Dance Festival and is currently working on a new production. The Prayukti collective has also presented a lot of traditional ensemble work across the Bay Area and in the Cleveland Thyagaraja Utsavam as part of its community outreach program.
Nitya has curated and presented a Lecture Demonstration series called “The Essence of Indian Arts” in numerous forums across the Bay Area to a wide spectrum of audience. The Prayukti Art community is dedicated to creating platforms where seasoned Artists, Rasika’s and students of art can all come together and bond over a common appreciation for art.
Nitya trained in Bharatanatyam under Guru Suma Mani, Chennai in her formative years. A graceful, enthusiastic and passionate dancer, Nitya completed her arangetram (debut, solo performance) in the year 2003. She then pursued her training under the guidance of Guru Rukmini Vijayakumar, Raadha Kalpa Dance Company, Bangalore. She studied with Smt Vithya Arasu (Natyakala Vidhya) in the Marga-Nritta Karanas and is pursuing Nattuvangam training under Dr.G.V.Guru Bharadwaaj. Nitya currently continues her pursuits of bharatanatyam with Smt Shweta Prachande.
Nitya’s interest and passion for movement and dance led her to pursue the Post Diploma program in Movement Arts and Media from the Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts, where she graduated with honors. She also pursued Art of Teaching at the Iyengar Institute of Yoga, San Francisco.
She firmly believes in upholding the traditional values of Bharatanatyam, while also acknowledging its problematic past, working with its rich present, and being open to its evolving future. Her commitment to the art form extends beyond its technical aspects, encompassing its cultural and historical significance as well. With a deep understanding of the complex dynamics at play, she strives to honor the tradition while also pushing boundaries and exploring new possibilities for its expression. Through her approach, she embodies the spirit of innovation and evolution that is essential for any art form to thrive and remain relevant.
For more information about Nitya’s upcoming programs and work check here
PROGRAM MANAGER
Trisha Chhaganlal
Trisha is an accomplished Kathak Dance Instructor based in Bay Area, California. She started her Kathak journey in New Zealand under the guidance of her mother. After her family relocated to Florida, Trisha pursued further training in Kathak dance and theory and became certified to teach. She started Orlando, Florida’s first Kathak school offering dance classes in Kathak, Bollywood and Garba.
Since moving to the Bay Area, she has continued to widen her network with dance artists and has built up a substantial following across platforms and works in Social Media Management with a focus in supporting the South Asian Classical dance artists.