EVENTS & ENGAGEMENTS
Global Ambassador of Indian Dance Choreographer UNESCO-CID member Director
INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
- o Featured Artist at UNESCO Festivals & Global Stages
-Curated and performed at 25+ prestigious festivals across France, Italy, Greece, China, S. America, S. Africa, Bulgaria, Netherlands, Belgium, and the UK, including: - o Confolens International Dance Festival, France (2001):
- - Honored and chosen to light the opening ceremony flame (2001) among 500 global artists and 18 countries with the Pesident of C.I.O.F.F.
- o South Africa (2005):
- - Official Government Delegate for Diwali celebrations, blending Indian dances with African rhythms.
- o Shanghai, China (2016):
- - Bridged cultures with “Chinese & classical Indian dance form Kucchipuddi”, a cross-continental dance dialogue.
- o Athens, Greece (2024):
- - Headlining the 61st CID-UNESCO World Dance Research Congress, representing India with N.A.P.A. Pvt. Ltd. students for folk dances.
LEADERSHIP & CHOREOGRAPHY
- Principal Choreographer
- o 5 Elements of Nature:
- - Rhythmic dance ballet featured at UNESCO festivals.
- - Fusion Ballet on 7 classical dances of India.
- o Kathak & Flamenco:
- - A celebrated Indo-Spanish collaboration in India and Europe.
- o 75th Birthday Tribute for Pandurang Shastri Athavale:
- - Orchestrated a performance with 3,000 dancers for 70,000+ spectators globally.
- o Founder & Director | Natraj Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA).
- - Established N.A.P.A Pvt. Ltd., recognized by CID-UNESCO since 2017.
- - N.A.P.A troupe awarded “Best International Performers” in France (2017).
- o Choreographic Work in Theatre & Media
- - Assist.Choreographer for renowned Suyog’s Marathi plays like Moruchi Maushi and Char Divas Premache.
- - Lead choreographer for Natyamandar Productions and the Hirkani Awards on Doordarshan.
- - Featured & Interviewed on Discovery Channel TV New Zealand for Roadways to Bollywood (2009) for Bharatnatyam dance style.
ACADEMIC & CULTURAL DIPLOMACY | Storyteller • Educator • Artistic Visionary
- o Global Educator: Crafted immersive educational programs as Guest Lecturer at Cambridge University, University of East Anglia, and Bangor University(UK), bridging Indian classical/folk dance traditions with modern narratives for international drama, conservation leadership, and interdisciplinary arts students.
- o Emotional Storytelling Architect: Designed transformative dance-theatre workshops across South Africa and the UK, mentoring 500+ international dance enthusiasts (ages 8–75) in emotive expression, cultural preservation, and collaborative choreography.
- o Scholar & Author: Published critically acclaimed treatise “A Jewel in the Crown of India" —definitive research on Bharatanatyam’s socio-cultural legacy—garnering recognition as a leading voice in Indian classical dance academia.
- o Screen & Stage Innovator: Led 20+ years of boundary-pushing choreography and acting for **Doordarshan TV events, telefilms, and theatrical productions, merging tradition with contemporary storytelling.
- o Celebration Curator: Specialized in bespoke Bridal/Group Sangeet choreography for global clients (including NRIs), blending ancestral motifs with modern flair for 300+ cross-cultural celebrations.
- o Legacy Builder: Served as principal choreographer for Ghanashamdas Saraf College annual events (25-year tenure), shaping generations of performers.
- o Award-Winning Artistry: Honored with 1st Prize in Folk Dance by Maharashtra State Government (2004) for revitalizing regional heritage through dynamic performances.
- o 35-Year Pedagogical Legacy:
- - Mentored 2,000+ students across ages and skill levels, fostering technical mastery, artistic confidence, and intercultural dialogue since 1990.
CURRENT & UPCOMING
- o July 2024: Curating a groundbreaking Indo-Greek fusion piece for CID-UNESCO’s Athens Congress.
- o Ongoing: Developing a digital archive of India’s vanishing folk dances, commissioned by CID.
ACCOLADES & RECOGNITION
- o Lifetime Achievement Award: (Maharashtra State Folk Dance, 2004)
- o UNESCO-CID Director Membership (2019): One of India’s few selected global dance ambassadors
- - Have been appointed as Judge for various zonal and state level dance competitions more than 40+ events.
- - From rural India my work merges rigor with innovation. Whether choreographing 3,000 dancers or lecturing at Cambridge, I craft experiences that ignite cultural curiosity—proven by features in Discovery Channel, and sold-out global tours & international workshops.
