Nisha Balaraman

🪔 About

Nisha Balaraman is an accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer and teacher based in the United States. Her journey in Bharatanatyam commenced in 1999 under the tutelage of Smt. Shreelata Suresh, coinciding with the inception of the Vishwa Shanthi Dance Academy. She completed her Arangetram, her debut solo performance, in April 2009. Nisha has been actively teaching Bharatanatyam since 2013 and currently manages and teaches at the Palo Alto location of Vishwa Shanthi Dance Academy. She also teaches at the Peninsula and San Mateo branches of the academy. Balaraman holds a certificate in Bharatanatyam from the Alagappa Performing Arts Academy of India, where she studied under Smt. Deepa Mahadevan. Her academic background includes a B.S. in Cognitive Science with a focus on Human-Computer Interaction and a minor in Dance from UC San Diego. Beyond classical dance, she is also a certified yoga instructor through the Mount Madonna Institute and works professionally as a UX researcher. Throughout her career, Nisha Balaraman has performed extensively on national and international stages. Her international appearances include the 2008 Dance World Cup in Vancouver, BC, and she secured first prize in the folklore/ethnic category at the 2009 Prague Dance Festival. Nationally, she has performed at various venues such as the 2011 Nadaswaroopini Dance Competition in Pennsylvania, the Hare Krishna Temple in Utah, the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, and Yuva Bharati. Awards & Honours: First Prize, Folklore/Ethnic Category (2009).