Sonia Chandaria-Tillu

🪔 About

Sonia Chandaria-Tillu is a Kathak dancer, choreographer, and educator, known for her classical and contemporary interpretations of the Indian classical dance form. Born and raised in Kenya, she began her dance journey at a young age, starting with ballet at 2.5 years old and later exploring Indian folk, Bollywood, and classical dance at Shivam Performing Arts. At 13, she performed her debut solo Indian dance in Kenya, choreographed by Bharti Pathak. After moving to the UK in 2004 on a Mathematics scholarship, Sonia pursued an undergraduate degree in Human Sciences from the University of Oxford (2007-2010) and qualified as a chartered accountant. During a gap year, she won the London Regional Final of the Boogie Woogie Dance Competition and trained as an actress in Mumbai. Her formal Kathak training commenced in 2010 under Guru Sujata Banerjee. She has further honed her skills through workshops with esteemed artists such as Pandit Birju Maharaj, Saswati Sen, and Kumudini Lakhia. Sonia has toured internationally as a senior dancer with the Sujata Banerjee Dance Company across India, Spain, the UK, and the USA. She also collaborates with various other dance organizations, including Akademi, Birmingham Dance Network, and Pagrav Dance Company. In 2018, Sonia founded the Sona Lisa Dance Company in Birmingham, England, where she serves as Artistic Director. The company aims to evolve Kathak by challenging and extending classical movements to speak to contemporary audiences, often exploring social messages and themes relevant to today's cosmopolitan society. She also delivers workshops in the local community and holds a position as Trustee of UK Young Artists. Awards & Honours: European Regional Winner, Kalashram Kathak Competition (2017), UK National Milapfest Yuva Nritya Runner Up Scholarship (2015).