Vaibu Mohan

🪔 About

Vaibu Mohan is an Indian-American multi-hyphenate artist based in New York City, with a strong foundation in Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music. She began her Bharatanatyam training in 2003 under her mother, Dr. Srimathy Mohan, at Silambam Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona. She also trained in the Bharathalaya style under her grand-guru, Professor Sudharani Raghupathy. Mohan completed her Rangapravesham in 2014 and subsequently expanded her training to include choreography, dance direction, dramaturgy, and nattuvangam. She currently serves as the Resident Director, Associate Choreographer, Dramaturg, and Vocalist at Silambam Phoenix, where she has been a student for over twenty years. Beyond classical dance, Vaibu Mohan is an accomplished Carnatic vocalist, having studied with the late Smt. Meera Rajkumar and Vidwan R.K. Shriramkumar since 2008. She holds a BM in Musical Theatre Performance from Arizona State University and an MFA in Musical Theatre Writing from New York University. Mohan is a writer, musician, dancer, director, and producer, dedicated to integrating South Asian storytelling and theatrical forms into Western contexts. Her work has been showcased at prestigious venues such as Lincoln Center, Rattlestick Theatre, Brooklyn Children's Theatre, The American Opera Project, 54 Below, and Greenroom 42. She was a 2021 Write Out Loud Finalist and won the Atlanta Opera's 96 Hour Opera Competition, with her full-length opera, "Jala Smriti," set to premiere in 2026. As a producer, she has overseen numerous shows at 54 Below, including the "Work In Progress" series, and has released an album, "Nayika Mixtape" (2021), and an EP, "Pure Brown Noise" (2023). She is also the Associate Artistic Director of Silambam Phoenix and has directed and produced Bharatanatyam-infused adaptations like "Shoonya Haasyam" (2024) and the original musical "Sati: Goddess Incarnate." Awards & Honours: Write Out Loud Finalist (2021), 96 Hour Opera Competition Winner.