Rachna Nivas

Rachna Nivas
rachna@kathak.org

Rachna Nivas is currently a senior instructor and co-director of the Chhandam School of Kathak, one of the largest classical Indian dance institutions in the world (600 students worldwide).  Rachna is a Kathak artist who brings a fierce passion and energy to her performances. She has been studying under world-renowned master, Pandit Chitresh Das, for 13 years.  As a member of the internationally touring Chitresh Das Dance Company, she has performed in several award-winning productions, prestigious festivals, and has toured with the company all over the U.S. and India.    Her solo performances display the depth of her training in tayari (stunning technique in footwork and pirouettes), layakari (improvisation of intricate rhythms), khubsurti and nazakat (beauty and subtlety of movement), and gat bhao (the art of storytelling).   Rachna is also fast gaining international attention for her exhilarating demonstrations of Kathak Yoga, a groundbreaking innovation by her Guruji. She is a pioneer in playing harmonium while simultaneously singing and dancing sophisticated rhythmical mathematics.  In addition to performing on the proscenium stage, Rachna is also actively involved in arts education programs at schools and lecture demonstrations at universities.