Vivek Kinra

About

Vivek Kinra is an internationally renowned dancer, choreographer and teacher of the Indian classical dance form of Bharata-Natyam and he has performed successfully in India, Russia, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand. He has an ecstatic quality of passion and precision in his dance, which makes him memorable and sets him apart. He holds the prestigious post-graduate Diploma from Kalakshetra, the renowned academy for the study of this dance style in Chennai, India. He is also a former faculty member of Kalakshetra. As an artist and a person, Kinra feels deeply indebted to Rukmini Devi and his teachers at Kalakshetra. From a young age he began training with Guru Sridharan Nayar. Later, he studied with several outstanding exponents of Bharata-Natyam at Kalakshetra and he was awarded a Government of India scholarship for advanced studies there. Kinra participated in many of Kalakshetra's famous dance-dramas and was acclaimed for his various lead roles. He was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in 2010 Queen's Birthday honours for his huge contribution to the New Zealand dance scene. In February 2015 he received the Absolutely Positively Wellingtonian Award for his outstanding contribution to Wellington through his work with Indian classical dance. Kinra's work has also been recognised and supported by Creative New Zealand (Arts Council of New Zealand) including grants which have enabled him to return to India to choreograph new dance works. These have included the productions of Shiva the Cosmic Dancer, Ashta Nayika, Vaishnavam, Rasa: The Emotional Journey, Shiva Geeti Mala, Krishna the Divine Lover, Utsav, Chakra, Angika, Shree Ram Katha, Bharatam, Incarnations, Anand: Joy in Motion, Shree Krishna Leela, Satvika, Samarpana, Kartikeya, Shakti: The Universal Energy and Navarasa: Nine Emotions.

Skills & Expertise