Uttara Asha Coorlawala

🪔 About

Uttara Asha Coorlawala is a distinguished dancer, choreographer, scholar, and educator renowned for her pioneering work in intercultural innovation within Indian contemporary dance. Born in Hyderabad, India, and educated in Mumbai, she received training in Bharatanatyam (Kalakshetra style), hatha yoga with B.K.S. Iyengar, and Siddha Yoga. She furthered her dance education in New York City, studying modern dance at the Martha Graham and Merce Cunningham studios. Coorlawala holds a Ph.D. from New York University. Her career as a dancer-choreographer saw her embark on solo tours across India, Europe, East Europe, Japan, and the United States between 1973 and 1987, introducing American modern dance to Indian audiences and serving as a cultural representative for both India and the United States. Her choreography uniquely blends modern dance, Bharatanatyam, and yoga. Coorlawala has held significant administrative roles, including serving as a Performing Arts advisor to the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and as Dance Director of the National Center for Performing Arts in Mumbai. Currently, she teaches dance at Barnard College/Columbia University in New York City and serves as the curator for the annual Erasing Borders Festival of Indian Dances, a role she has held since 2008. Her academic contributions include serving on the Editorial Board of Dance Research Journal and publishing numerous articles in prominent dance journals and anthologies. She has previously taught at institutions such as Princeton University, The Alvin Ailey School Professional Program, and Long Island University. Awards & Honours: Sangeet Natak Akademi Puruskar Award (2010), Sangeet Natak Akademi grant for research in contemporary Dance in India (2011), Asian Cultural Council, Discretionary Travel grant (2009), Research Fellowship, The AHRB Research Centre for Crosscultural Music and Dance Performance (2003), Principal Investigator, for Artistic Production & Cultural Identity in U.S. Immigrant/Diasporic Communities (2005), Research Fellowship Asian Pacific Performers Exchange (1999), CORD Graduate Research Award (1994), Homi Bhabha Fellowship for choreographic Research (1976), John D. Rockefeller 3rd Fund Fellowship to study Choreography in NYC (1970), Dadabhai Naoroji Lifetime Achievement Award, Phi-Sigma-Psi honor award, Kappa Delta Pi.