Chitraleka Bolar

🪔 About

Chitraleka Bolar is a distinguished Bharatanatyam artist, teacher, and choreographer based in the United Kingdom. She received her training in Bharatanatyam in Kerala, India, and has since built a professional career spanning over thirty-five years, performing in theatres, schools, and community venues. In 1978, she immigrated to the UK, where she faced a nascent Bharatanatyam landscape in Birmingham but was driven by her passion to establish its presence. In 1990, Chitraleka Bolar founded the Chitraleka Dance Academy, also known as the Chitraleka Dance Company, in Birmingham. She has served as its Artistic Director since 1996, leading the institution to train numerous dancers who have contributed to the UK's dance scene. The academy is recognized for its dedication to the Bharatanatyam art form and its long-lasting impression on UK Bharatanatyam history. Bolar has been a pivotal figure in dance education, particularly with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD). Her involvement with the ISTD Classical Indian Dance Faculty began in 1998, participating in meetings and consultations for syllabus development. She was part of revising the syllabus in 2014/15 and has been an examiner since 2000/2001. She served as Faculty Chair for seven to eight years and is currently one of the Lead Examiners for Bharatanatyam. Her academy consistently sends over 100 candidates for ISTD examinations annually. As a choreographer, Chitraleka Bolar is known for her innovative approach to adapting classical Bharatanatyam to explore diverse themes and enhance cultural understanding, especially in educational settings. Her work includes "The Story of Carbon" (also known as "The Story of C"), a unique project that linked classical dance with science. This production toured extensively in the UK and India, reaching over 7,000 audience members, primarily from educational backgrounds. Her contributions to dance have been recognized with significant accolades, including the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) and the South Asian Dance Lifetime Achievement Award at the One Dance UK Awards in 2019. Awards & Honours: MBE, South Asian Dance Lifetime Achievement Award (2019).