Chitra Subramani

🪔 About

Chitra Subramanian is an Indian American dancer, choreographer, and educator based in Washington, D.C. Originally from South India and a native of Pittsburgh, she began her Bharatanatyam training at the age of seven under the internationally renowned teacher Jaya Mani at the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Pittsburgh. At sixteen, she completed her rigorous training with an Arangetram, the highest honor for Bharatanatyam students. Subramanian later moved to Washington, D.C., where she earned a Master's in Arts Management from American University. Her artistic journey expanded to include Hip-Hop culture, which she encountered through the club scenes in Pittsburgh and D.C. This dual foundation in Indian Classical dance and Hip-Hop deeply influences her unique movement aesthetic. Subramanian leads chitra.MOVES, an emerging collective of artists through which she teaches, choreographs, and performs. Her work explores themes of community, relationships, and institutions, often drawing from her immigrant roots and her extensive experience in youth education and social justice work. Chitra Subramanian's performances have graced prestigious venues such as The Kennedy Center, Atlas Performing Arts Center, Joe's Movement Emporium, and the Kelly Strayhorn Theater in Pittsburgh. Notable works include the evening-length performance "TEMPLE," "LINKED," and "Village Stories." She has also taught at various educational institutions, including American University, University of Maryland, CityDance Center, and Arts for Learning Maryland. Subramanian is also the curator of the "Rooting the Dance Hip Hop Series," which highlights women and femmes in D.C.'s street dance community. Her contributions to the arts have been recognized with several accolades, including the 2024 Gallim Parent Moving Artist Residency, the DC Commission Fellowship Grant, and the 2024 Atlas ArtsLAB Fellowship. Awards & Honours: Gallim Parent Moving Artist Residency (2024), DC Commission Fellowship Grant, Atlas ArtsLAB Fellowship (2024), Words Beats & Life Toward 2040 Fellowship, VOICES Residency, NextLOOK Residency, Kennedy Center's Local Dance Commissioning Project, National Dance Project Production Grant.