Ofra Hoffman

🪔 About

Ofra Hoffman was born and raised in Israel, where she developed an early and profound passion for the performing arts, particularly theatre and dance. Her formal training began with theatre studies at the Art high school in Jerusalem, followed by classical voice training. A pivotal moment in her artistic journey was her introduction to Corporeal Mime, a technique created by the esteemed Master Etienne Decroux. In 1991, she relocated to Paris, France, to immerse herself further in Corporeal Mime, studying from 1992 to 1995 under Decroux's last disciples, including Corinne Soum, Thomas Lebhart, and Ivan Baccioci. Her initial encounter with Bharatanatyam took place in Paris, where she commenced her training with Shalini, a disciple of M.K. Saroja and Vidhya, and subsequently with Malavika, a disciple of Guru K.G. Ellapa Mudaliar and Kalaimamani V.S. Muthuswami Pillai. Driven by a desire for deeper understanding, Ofra began to divide her life between Chennai, India, Paris, and Tel Aviv. In 2005, she met Kalaimamani Kuttalam M. Selvam, who became her principal guru for Bharatanatyam. Her comprehensive training also included studying Abhinaya, the narrative aspect of the dance, with Bragha Bessel, and Carnatic vocal music with Anuja Rajasimhan. Furthermore, she received intensive Nattuvangam training from her guru, Kuttalam M. Selvam, an art crucial for understanding rhythmic and choreographic structures. In 2010, Ofra was awarded an ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations) scholarship, which facilitated her move to Chennai for dedicated study. She presented her Arangetram in 2011, a significant ceremony marking her transition from student to a performing dancer. Ofra Hoffman actively performs both traditional Bharatanatyam choreographies and her own original creations in Israel and internationally. She is dedicated to stimulating interest and curiosity about Bharatanatyam, an art form less known in Israel, often collaborating with artists from diverse fields such as musicians, actors, and visual artists to achieve this goal. Awards & Honours: ICCR Scholarship (2010).