Amrita Lahiri

🪔 About

Amrita Lahiri is a distinguished dancer and choreographer specializing in the Indian classical dance form of Kuchipudi. She is recognized as one of the foremost young performers of Kuchipudi today, known for her elegant, dynamic, and refined approach to the art form, presenting it from its traditional roots to contemporary expressions. Lahiri began her dance training at the age of seven in Washington D.C. under Anuradha Nehru. At fifteen, she relocated to New Delhi, where she made her solo debut (arangetrum) at the India International Centre in 1996. Her extensive training includes studies with renowned Kuchipudi gurus such as Jaikishore Mosalikanti, Swapnasundari, and Seetha Nagajothy, a senior disciple of Vempati Chinna Satyam. Additionally, she trained in Bharatanatyam under Leela Samson, with whom she toured extensively as part of Samson's group, Spanda. Lahiri has performed to critical acclaim across India at prestigious venues and festivals, including the Music Academy in Chennai, India International Centre, India Habitat Centre, Kamani Auditorium, National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA), and Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC). Her international performances include appearances at the Esplanade in Singapore, 'Dancing the Gods' festival in New York, and the Museum Rietberg in Zurich, as well as tours across Southeast Asia for the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), with whom she is empaneled as an artist. Beyond her performance career, Lahiri is an innovative choreographer, having created productions such as 'Chitra', 'Murchhana', 'Nritya Tarang', 'Samudra', 'Converse', and 'Mandala'. She holds a Masters in Sociology from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Her expertise extends to arts management, having served as the Head of Dance Programming at the NCPA in Mumbai from 2010 to 2013, where she curated over 200 performances. She has also curated for institutions like NMACC, Kalakshetra, Museum Rietberg, the American Dance Festival, and the Kennedy Center. Lahiri is also an educator, conducting workshops and lecture demonstrations for diverse audiences and offering online Kuchipudi classes. From 2016 to 2019, she taught at the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS), where she developed a Kuchipudi syllabus and examination system. She is also a published writer on the arts. Awards & Honours: Kala Bharat Ratna (2024).