Chandrika Chinoy

🪔 About

Chandrika Chinoy is a distinguished Bharatanatyam dancer, teacher, and anthropologist based in Madrid, Spain. Her journey in Indian classical dance began at the age of twelve after witnessing a Bharatanatyam performance. She commenced her formal Bharatanatyam training in London with Balasundari in 1971-1972. Her extensive training continued in the United States with renowned gurus such as Indrani Rahman, with whom she also served as an assistant at the Harvard Summer Dance Center, Ritha Devi, and Rajika Puri in New York. To deepen her understanding, Chinoy traveled to India, studying with C.V. Chandrasekher in Varanasi and Adyar Lakshmanan in Chennai. She also pursued studies in Odissi with Indrani Rahman, Rajika Puri, and Frederique Marglin, and Kathak with Bashkar and Mata Prasad. Beyond Indian classical forms, Chinoy holds a B.A. in Anthropology from Harvard University and an M.F.A. in Dance from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, reflecting her comprehensive approach to dance and culture. She also has a background in ballet, contemporary dance, African dance, tap, and European folk dance. For several years, she was a professional flamenco dancer in Spain under the name Clara Mora. Chinoy has been teaching Bharatanatyam in Spain for nearly 30 years, independently and through various institutions, including the Geeta Ashram, Madrid's first Hindu temple. She served as a Bharatanatyam professor for the Escuela Nataraya, preparing students for examinations through Prayag Sangeet Samiti and Allahabad University. She is credited with pioneering the introduction of prominent Bharatanatyam dancers and teachers, such as Rama Vaidyanathan and Lucrezia Maniscotti, to Madrid. She founded the Chandrika Natyalaya School of Bharatanatyam in Madrid, where she continues to offer regular classes and workshops. Her teaching methodology integrates her anthropological background, emphasizing the social and historical context of traditional dance forms.