Chandrika Chinoy

🪔 About

Chandrika Chinoy's profound journey in Indian classical dance commenced at the age of twelve, sparked by a Bharatanatyam performance. Her formal training in Bharatanatyam began in London between 1971 and 1972 under the tutelage of Balasundari. She furthered her studies in the United States with esteemed gurus such as Indrani Rahman, Ritha Devi, and Rajika Puri in New York, also serving as Indrani Rahman's assistant at the Harvard Summer Dance Center. To deepen her classical roots, Chinoy traveled to India, where she received training from C.V. Chandrasekher in Varanasi and Adyar Lakshmanan in Chennai. Her artistic exploration extended beyond Bharatanatyam to include Odissi, studied with Indrani Rahman and Rajika Puri, and Kathak, under Bashkar and Mata Prasad. Academically accomplished, Chandrika Chinoy holds a B.A. in Anthropology from Harvard University, where she graduated Magna cum Laude with an honors thesis on Sri Lankan Thovil rituals, and an M.F.A. in Dance from New York University Tisch School of the Arts. Her diverse dance background also encompasses professional flamenco dancing in Spain, where she performed under the name Clara Mora, alongside training in ballet, contemporary, African, historical, tap, and Middle Eastern dance. Chinoy has dedicated almost 30 years to teaching Bharatanatyam in Spain, both independently and through various institutions, including the Geeta Ashram in Madrid. She served as the Bharatanatyam professor for the Escuela Nataraya, guiding students through examinations from Prayag Sangeet Samiti. Her academic contributions include teaching courses on the social history of flamenco at the Universidad de Sevilla, and holding official teaching positions at several universities, including Harvard, NYU, and various Spanish institutions. As the head of the Chandrika Natyalaya School of Bharatanatyam, she has been a pivotal figure in promoting Indian classical dance in Spain, notably by inviting renowned Bharatanatyam dancers and teachers like Rama Vaidyanathan and Gayatri Sreeram to Madrid.