Shefali Jain

🪔 About

Shefali Jain is a prominent Kathak dancer and educator based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. She began her Kathak training in 2002 with Gretchen Hayden at the Chhandika School of Kathak and further honed her skills under the tutelage of the late Kathak maestro Pandit Chitresh Das. Jain has also expanded her artistic repertoire by studying thumri and bhao with Madhuri Devi Singh, Hindustani vocals with Vaibhav Mankad, and Kathak repertoire with Joanna De Souza. As a performer, Shefali Jain is recognized as an emerging artist and soloist. She has graced numerous prestigious stages across the U.S. and India. Her performance credits include appearances with the Chitresh Das Dance Company in productions such as "Sita Haran" (2013) and "SHIVA" (2016). She is also a founding artist of the Leela Dance Collective, with whom she has performed in "California Gharana" (2017) and "Son of the Wind" (2016, 2019), at venues including the Royal Opera House in Mumbai and the Ford Theaters in Los Angeles. Jain has also presented solo works at notable venues like the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and the New York Kathak Festival. Beyond her performing career, Jain is a dedicated arts educator. She serves as a senior instructor at the Chhandika Institute of Kathak Dance in Boston, MA, and is the co-artistic director and co-founder of the Chhandika Youth Ensemble, a pre-professional program that has trained over 50 students. Her commitment to education extends to academia, where she teaches accredited Kathak courses at Tufts University, Wellesley College, and the Boston Conservatory. She previously taught Kathak at Yale University during her undergraduate studies in biology. Her work has received support from organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts and the Massachusetts Cultural Council. She also engages in research, exploring the overlooked contributions of courtesans to Kathak history. Awards & Honours: Grant Support, Grant Support.