Shaily Dadiala

🪔 About

Shaily Dadiala is an Indian classical dancer, choreographer, and educator specializing in Bharatanatyam. Born and raised in Bardoli, Gujarat, India, she began her formal training in Bharatanatyam at the age of nine, completing a seven-year course and taking a state board exam by the age of sixteen. She earned a bachelor's degree in arts with a specialization in Bharatanatyam in India in 1994. In 2000, Dadiala moved to New York City, where she pursued and earned a master's degree. Following her graduation, she relocated to Philadelphia for a job in a pharmaceutical company. After two years, she made a significant career and life change, leaving her corporate job and an abusive relationship to dedicate herself full-time to dance. In 2008, Dadiala founded Usiloquy Dance Designs, a non-profit contemporary dance company based in Philadelphia. As the Artistic Director and Founder, she choreographs and performs original works rooted in Bharatanatyam, often exploring themes of migration, race, gender, and the cultural aspects of diasporas. Her work incorporates Bharatanatyam's fundamental vocabulary with diverse musical and narrative elements. She has been teaching Bharatanatyam and other traditional Indian dance forms in Center City, Philadelphia, since 2006. Dadiala is a recipient of the Leeway Art for Change grant in 2012 and received a Special Recognition by The Forman Arts Initiative in 2024. Usiloquy Dance Designs offers live stage productions, dance technique workshops, and choreography services, aiming to build bridges between diverse audience communities. Awards & Honours: Leeway Art for Change grant (2012), Special Recognition by The Forman Arts Initiative (2024).