Menaka P.P. Bora

🪔 About

Dr. Menaka P.P. Bora is a distinguished Indian classical dancer, researcher, and academic, recognized for her significant contributions to Sattriya and Bharatanatyam dance forms. Born to the legendary classical dancer Guru Indira P.P. Bora, Menaka began her dance journey at the tender age of two, inheriting a rich artistic lineage. She received rigorous training in Sattriya from her mother and in Bharatanatyam under the renowned Dhananjayans. Her early talent was evident when, at just nine years old, she became the youngest dancer to perform solo at the prestigious Kalakshetra in Chennai, where she also performed her arangetram. Menaka P.P. Bora is also an accomplished scholar, holding a BA from Stella Maris College, Chennai, an MA in Transnational Communications and Global Media, and a PhD in Ethnomusicology and Media, both from the University of London. Her academic pursuits led her to become the first Indian to work with the Oxford University Faculty of Music's ethnomusicology department on Indian classical dance. She was appointed an artist-in-residence at the University of Oxford and an Elected Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society. Her research at Oxford's Bodleian Library focused on Indian classical dance, gestures, manuscripts, and dance anatomy, leading to an invitation to publish an illustrated book on Indian manuscript paintings. As a performer, Dr. Bora has globalized Assam's Sattriya dance, representing it on international platforms including performances at the British Museum, Asia House in London, and the Royal Albert Hall in 2019. She was also the artist brand ambassador for Dalmia Bharat Ltd. Alongside her mother, she played a crucial role in the Sangeet Natak Akademi recognizing 'Sattriya Nritya' as a classical dance of India. Her innovative approach includes choreographing works that interpret traditional texts through dance. Awards & Honours: Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar (2009), Wingate Scholarship (2010), Elected Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society, Artist-in-residence.