Rachna Nivas
Los Angeles and New York City
Rachna Nivas is a performing artist, choreographer, educator, community organizer, and activist of Indian classical art with a mission to uphold its authenticity while thoughtfully advancing its modernity. She is one of the most accomplished kathak dance practitioners of her generation, called by critics “revelatory” and “charismatic” who “radiates power and grace”. Her work is rooted in elevating feminine consciousness and Eastern philosophies challenging Eurocentric cultural paradigms. Having risen to principal dancer in legendary Pandit Chitresh Das’ acclaimed company for 17 years, today Rachna is Co-Artistic Director of LA-based Leela Dance Collective and directs Leela’s New York City training center.
Rachna was awarded the prestigious New York Public Library for Performing Arts Dance Research Fellowship and NYC’s CUNY Dance Initiative residency. Her original works include ‘Reclaiming the Divine Feminine', embodiment of tantric Goddess Kali’s uncontainable feminine energy; 'Unedited', her risk-bound solo highly improvised with musicians; 'SPEAK', collaboration of leading women in kathak and tap; 'Son of the Wind', large-scale dance ballad on epic Ramayana; 'Meera', story of medieval princess finding liberation. Notable tours of Rachna’s works include LA’s Ford Theaters, Broad Stage, San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, New York Live Arts, Maui Arts and Cultural Center, India’s National Center for Performing Arts, Mumbai’s Royal Opera House, New Delhi’s Epicenter.
As an educator, Rachna has trained and mentored students on the West and East Coasts with an aim to foster excellence in kathak. Amongst South Asians, Rachna strives to engender pride and ownership of decolonized Indian artistic tradition.