Chaula Thacker

🪔 About

Chaula Thacker is an internationally recognized figure in Indian classical dance, particularly Bharatanatyam, and a dedicated educator and choreographer. Raised in Gujarat, India, by art-loving parents, she developed an early fascination with the ancient sculptures of dancers found in temples, drawn to their intricate hand gestures and body angles. She received training in vocal classical North Indian music from her mother and studied yoga and meditation with her father. Thacker pursued her passion for Bharatanatyam, one of India's oldest dance styles, studying with local teachers and earning a bachelor's degree in Dance (Bharatanatyam style) from Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Bombay. She also holds diplomas in North Indian classical vocal music and Indian musical instruments Sitar and Tabla, and has studied Carnatic music and ballet for 12 years. Her gurus include Shri Shrinivasan Shenoy, a disciple of Acharya Parvatikumar; Shri K. Ramaiah; and the late Shreemati Bala Saraswati, known as the “Queen of Abhinaya or Expression”. Thacker moved to the United States in 1976 and, in 1977, founded the Chauladevi Institute of Dance & Yoga (C.I.D.Y.) and the non-profit performing group Nadanta in Farmington Hills, Michigan, to share and preserve Indian classical arts. As the artistic director of Nadanta, she is known for her innovative dance-dramas and has choreographed and presented numerous productions globally. She has performed for audiences across India, the United States, Canada, the Former Soviet Union, Denmark, Spain, Indonesia (Bali), and Australia. Thacker is also a gifted teacher, having instructed over 150 students in southeastern Michigan in classical, creative, and folk dances, as well as yoga, for over 25 years. She has served as a faculty member at CCS and taught at Wayne State University, Oakland University, and Marygrove College. Additionally, she works as a dance and movement therapist for mentally and physically impaired individuals and is the author of "An Introduction to Bharat Natyam" and a companion educational video. Awards & Honours: Detroit Duchess Award for Excellence in Art (2024), Kresge Artist Fellow (2024), Nadanta National Championships (Choreography/Direction) (1989), Nadanta National Championships (Choreography/Direction) (1994), Nadanta National Championships (Choreography/Direction) (1995), Nadanta National Championships (Choreography/Direction) (1999), Awards for choreography, costume design, direction and performance.