Rachna Nivas

🪔 About

Rachna Nivas is an artist, choreographer, educator, and activist in Indian classical dance, bringing a relevant voice to kathak. She is a fierce and passionate performer, and a distinguished torchbearer of legendary master Pandit Chitresh Das’s treasured lineage. As a co-founder and artistic director of the Leela Dance Collective, she is currently touring her latest collaborative work SPEAK, bringing together leading women in kathak and tap and bridging South Asian and African-American art and heritage. She is also a co-creator of the large scale dance ballad, Son of the Wind, featuring 20 dancers and a live orchestra. Her original solo work, Meera, and her original youth ensemble work Stir, have both been featured at dance festivals across the country. Her works have been funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, New Music USA, Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation, California Arts Council, and Zellerbach Family Foundation. Rachna is also Artistic Director of the Leela Youth Dance Company, shepherding excellence, leadership, and youth empowerment through art amongst teens. She is a senior faculty member of Leela Academy with 22 years of teaching and community organizing experience. Now splitting her time between California and New York and regular visits to teach and perform in India, Rachna is one of the most sought-after artists and teachers of her generation.