Sukanya Chand

🪔 About

Sukanya Chand is an accomplished Indian classical dancer, choreographer, producer, and teacher specializing in Bharatanatyam and Odissi. Her extensive training in Bharatanatyam commenced in 1987 under the tutelage of Dr. Ananda Shankar Jayanth. She furthered her Bharatanatyam studies from 1996 at the Temple of Fine Arts (TFA), where she also explored various other dance styles. Her journey into Odissi began in 1998 with TFA, and she continued her advanced training with Dr. Rohini Dandavate, supported by a grant from the Ohio Arts Council. She has also studied under Ms. Suryakala and Mrs. Kaustavi Sarkar. Ms. Chand is the founder, owner, and director of Natya Nirvana, a professional Indian Dance company based in Central Ohio, which she established in 2009. Through Natya Nirvana, she aims to enrich the Central Ohio community by promoting Indian dance and music, fostering multicultural awareness, and nurturing local talent. Throughout her career, Sukanya Chand has choreographed and performed in numerous dance productions. Notably, she choreographed and performed in 'Just So Stories', a Dance-Theatre production by The Phoenix Theatre for Children (now CATCO). She has been invited to conduct workshops and performances at various educational institutions, including Kenyon College, Wittenberg University (for three consecutive years), BalletMet, MUCAI Academy, and the Ohio Dance Festival. She regularly performs and conducts master classes across Columbus. Beyond her work with Natya Nirvana, Ms. Chand serves as an Artist In Residence in the Columbus City Schools and teaches Bharatanatyam and Odissi at MUCAI Academy, in addition to offering private classes. During the 2020 lockdown, she reconnected with her guru Geetha Shankaran-Lam for special Odissi repertoire classes and contributed to online projects such as Digital Navarathri 2020 and "Adaptations-its hard to breathe." Her choreography has been featured in events like the OhioDance Professional Concert.