Neha Patel

🪔 About

Neha Patel is a prominent Indian classical dancer and guru specializing in Bharatanatyam, with additional training in Kathak and Indian folk dances. She began her Bharatanatyam training (Pandanallur style) at the age of six, under the tutelage of esteemed gurus including Shri Pathagudy Ramaswamy and the legendary Mrinalini Sarabhai at the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts in Ahmedabad, India. As a senior member of Darpana Academy, she performed extensively across India and internationally. Patel also pursued Kathak (Lucknow Gharana) under Maestro Sandhya Desai at "Kadamb" in Ahmedabad and received training in rare Indian folk art forms from Lt. Kailash Pandya and Smt. Damini Mehta at Darpana Academy. Her formal graduation (Arangetram) in Bharatanatyam took place at the age of nine. Currently, Neha Patel continues to refine her Bharatanatyam technique under Smt. Savithri Jaganath Rao and her abhinaya and nattuvangam under Smt. NithyaKalyani Vaidyanathan from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. She also continues her Kathak practice with Sandhya Desai. With over three decades of experience in choreography and teaching, Patel is the founder and Artistic Director of Naad Studios, established in 1997 in San Diego, USA. Naad Studios is dedicated to imparting Indian dance styles, including Bharatanatyam, Kathak, and folk dances, and prepares students for diplomas and degrees in classical dance through its affiliation with the Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal, Pune, India. She has conducted numerous performances, workshops, and lecture demonstrations at international dance festivals in various countries, including Egypt, Norway, France, UAE, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, Indonesia, Japan, and Italy. Patel is recognized as a renowned Bharatanatyam instructor.