Nalini Rau

🪔 About

Dr. Nalini Rau is a distinguished Bharatanatyam dancer, performer, choreographer, educator, and the director of Natya Anubhava Dance Academy. She is a leading disciple of the legendary nattuvunar/percussionist Guru Dakshinamurthy Pillai, and also received training from the esteemed duo Krishna Rao and Chandrabhaga Devi. Dr. Rau established Natya Anubhava Academy in New York in 1993, an institution dedicated to the art form of Bharatanatyam. Through her academy, she has trained over 200 students, with more than 40 completing their Arangetram (solo debut). Many of her students have gone on to become professional dancers and artists. Dr. Rau has directed over 30 dance productions, ranging from traditional themes to contemporary issues, showcasing her innovative approach of applying classical techniques to modern subjects. Her choreographic works have explored themes such as the strength of women, corruption, war, phases of life, universal values, and social inequalities. Beyond dance, Dr. Rau holds a BA in Economics, a gold medal in MA in Linguistics from Delhi University, and a Masters and Doctorate in Theoretical Linguistics from the University of Illinois, which informs her artistic and teaching philosophy. She has performed nationally and internationally, including in Chennai, Bengaluru, Helsinki, and New York. Awards & Honours: Natya Nava Ratna award from the President of India (Dr. R. Venkataraman) (1999), Uggersein award in Linguistics, "50 for 50" award from Arts Westchester (2015), Honors from the State Senate of NY, Recognition by the Westchester county board of legislators proclaiming June 1st as Dr. Nalini Rau day, and Natya Anubhava Academy of Classical Dance day (2013), Certificate of Distinguished service from the Office of the Westchester County executive, Performing Arts Honoree by IACAW (2018).