Nina Rajrani MBE

🪔 About

Nina Rajarani MBE is an acclaimed Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer, teacher, and artistic director, recognized for her significant contributions to South Asian dance. She commenced her Bharatanatyam training under Prakash Yadagudde at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's London branch, earning her Diploma in Bharatanatyam in 1986 and staging her Arangetram in 1987. Her training was further enriched by additional instruction from Chitra Visweswaran and regular tutelage from the renowned Shanta and V.P. Dhananjayan in Chennai, India, starting in 1988. In 1989, she received a scholarship from the Arts Council of England and ADiTi for intensive training with the Dhananjayans. Rajarani founded the Srishti – Nina Rajarani Dance School in 1991, based at the Harrow Arts Centre in Middlesex, and established her touring company, Srishti – Nina Rajarani Dance Creations, in 1992. She is known for her unique dance style, which assimilates various traditions, and for challenging boundaries with innovative choreography. Her work has been performed extensively across the UK, Europe, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, the US, and Canada. A prominent figure in dance education, Rajarani was a founder committee member of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing's (ISTD) Classical Indian Dance Faculty, serving as its Secretary from 1999 to 2014, and is currently its Vice Chair and a senior Bharatanatyam examiner. She played a crucial role in devising and revising the ISTD's Bharatanatyam syllabus. Her husband, Karnatik vocalist and composer Y. Yadavan, is a frequent collaborator in her artistic endeavors and teaches at her school. Awards & Honours: Diploma in Bharatanatyam (1986), The Place Prize (2006), MBE (Member of the British Empire) (2009).