Manochhaya Katia Légeret

🪔 About

Katia Légeret-Manochhaya is a distinguished figure in Indian classical dance, primarily Bharatanatyam, known for her multifaceted career as a performer, choreographer, academic, researcher, and author. Her journey in Bharatanatyam began in France in 1979 with Amala Devi, a disciple of Ram Gopal, during her studies at The Sorbonne. She furthered her training in Chennai, India, under K. Swarnnamukhi, who was Tamil Nadu's State Dancer. Since 1986, Légeret-Manochhaya has specialized in interpreting the repertoires of Natyacharya K. Muralidhar Rao, a master of the Pandanallur style from Mysore, whose teachings she received from 1985 to 2014. Beyond her performance career, Katia Légeret-Manochhaya holds a prominent academic position as a Professor of Aesthetics and Art Theory in the Department of Theatre at Paris 8 University, France. She also directs the Laboratory of researches EA1573/EDESTA-Aesthetics, Sciences and Technologies of the Arts at the same university. Her research focuses on the influence of Asian performing arts, particularly from India, on 20th-century European playwrights, stage directors, and choreographers. She has authored numerous books and articles on Indian dances and theatre, including "Dance Theatre of India" (2018), "The 108 Karana: In Bharata-Natyam Dance Theatre of India" (2022), and "Danser la Forêt: Yoga et écologie du bharata-natyam". As a choreographer and director, she has created several international performances, such as "Shiva Rodin" (2012) and "Panchatantra and La Fontaine" (2014).