Aparna Sindhoor

🪔 About

Aparna Sindhoor, born in 1970 or 1971 in Mysore, India, is an acclaimed Indian-American choreographer, dancer, and teacher known for her innovative dance-theater work. She began her dance training at the age of five with her mother, Dr. Srivalli, and later trained extensively in Bharatanatyam for approximately 15 years with the legendary Dr. K. Venkatalakshamma, a Mysore palace dancer, who emphasized Abhinaya and Jathis. Sindhoor also studied music with her father, Professor Balasubramanyam, and received training in theater, yoga, Kalarippayattu martial arts with Guru Anil Natyaveda, contemporary, and aerial dance. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Dance, Literature, and Dramatics with a Gold Medal from Mysore University (1990), a Master's degree in English, and a Ph.D. in "Dance, Women, and Culture" from Boston University (2009). Sindhoor gave her arangetram (debut solo recital) in 1989 and co-founded the Navarasa Dance Theatre (also known as Sindhoor Natya – Navarasa) in Mysore, India, in 1991, with her husband, film director S.M. Raju, and fellow choreographer Anil Natyaveda. She moved to the United States in 1997 or 1998, and the theater subsequently established its base in Boston, Massachusetts, and now operates in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, California. As the artistic director of Navarasa Dance Theatre, Sindhoor has conceived and choreographed over 20 full-length dance works, which have been showcased internationally in the US, Canada, Germany, and India at prestigious venues and festivals such as Jacob's Pillow, Lincoln Center, and the New Haven Festival of Arts and Ideas. Her work often explores themes of women's stories, social justice, love, and compassion, blending traditional Indian classical and folk dance forms with diverse theater traditions, world music, martial arts, yoga, and storytelling. She has collaborated with notable artists like Oscar-winner Anthony Dod Mantle and Cirque du Soleil's Franco Dragone. Sindhoor is also a part-time faculty member at Santa Monica College and co-created the "Dance-for-Everyone" program, offering free training in India and the USA. Awards & Honours: Gold Medal in Dance (1990), NPN Creation Funds Award (2013), Los Angeles Stage Alliance Ovation Award for Choreography (2013), Grants from Human Resource Development Agency, Shakti Dhama woman of the year award, Kerala Film choreography, California Arts Council's Individual Artist Fellowship (2022), Boston Dance Alliance Rehearsal and Retreat award.