Malavika Walia

🪔 About

Malavika Kumar Walia is a prominent Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer, teacher, and nattuvanar, deeply rooted in the tradition of the Abhinaya Dance Company of San José. She is the daughter and student of Mythili Kumar, the esteemed founder and artistic director of the company. Walia has been an integral part of the Abhinaya Dance Company, performing in numerous productions since 1992 and touring with the company both in India and across the U.S.A.. Her expertise extends to nattuvangam, the art of conducting the orchestra with cymbals and vocalizing rhythms, which she has been performing for arangetrams and company productions since 2000. Her skill in this area was notably recognized in 2004 when a critic in Chennai lauded her as 'the star of the show' for her 'precise, well-intoned nattuvangam'. Walia also coaches students for their Arangetrams, their solo debut performances. Beyond performing and nattuvangam, Malavika Kumar Walia is a prolific choreographer and composer, having created numerous jathis and choreographed pieces for both solo and group performances. In January 2020, she was appointed as the Director of the newly established Junior Dance Company within Abhinaya, further solidifying her leadership role in nurturing the next generation of Bharatanatyam dancers. Her contributions to the art form were recognized with the Lakshmi Viswanathan Award from Sri Krishna Gana Sabha in Chennai, India, for her solo performance in 2014. Awards & Honours: Lakshmi Viswanathan Award (2014).