Nao Tsutsumi

🪔 About

Nao Tsutsumi is a Kathak dancer from Tokyo, Japan. She began her training in North Indian classical dance, Kathak, in 1998 under the tutelage of Japanese exponent Sachi Nakajima. In 2004, she became a member of the Kathak performing unit 'Apsara', participating in various performances, including at the India Hall of 'Expo Ai・Chikyu-haku' in 2005 and a Delhi performance in 2010. Driven by a desire for deeper study, Tsutsumi undertook several trips to India for intensive training. From 2015, she pursued her Kathak studies at the Kadamb Centre for Dance and Music in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, as a scholar of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). During this period, she received guidance from the renowned Kathak maestro Padma Vibhushan Kumudini Lakhia, the founder of Kadamb, and performed alongside Indian dancers across various stages in India. A significant highlight of her career was her performance at the Indo-Japan Annual Summit in Ahmedabad in September 2017, where she performed in the presence of both the Japanese and Indian Prime Ministers. Upon her return to Japan in October 2017, Nao Tsutsumi established 'Nritya Angan' to commence her solo performance career and teaching activities. She continues to explore unique bodily expressions, also incorporating studies in Yang Ming-Shi Tai-Ji-Quan. She teaches Kathak, and in August 2025, she began teaching an iconic bol (rhythm) from the Kadamb repertoire to her students.