Guru Dr. Aparna Sindhoor
Guru Dr. Aparna Sindhoor is the Artistic Director of SINDHOOR & NATYAVEDA – NAVARASA Dance Theater (www.navarasa.org). She creates a unique style of dance-theater that has been touring around the world. Her work focuses on stories of women, social justice, love, and compassion. Sindhoor started training in music with her father Prof. Balasubramanyam and in dance with her mother Dr. Srivalli, and continued her training with Dr. Venkatalakshamma and Dr. Lalitha Srinivasan. She has a PhD in Dance (Boston University.) Dr. Sindhoor trained in Kalari with Guru Anil Natyaveda and has been working on promoting this ancient Indian martial art since 2005. She is also trained in yoga, music, and acting. Her company SINDHOOR & NATYAVEDA – NAVARASA promotes the Mysore Style Bharatanatyam, and they are the first to bring Kalari to North America.
Dr. Sindhoor was an artist in residency at the Bates Dance Festival, East West Players, Asian Art Museum, Teesri Duniya, Wellesley College, UCSB. She has collaborated with Oscar winner Anthony Dod Mantle, Cirque du Soleil famed Franco Dragone’, and composers such as Isaac Thomas Kottukapally and George Brooks. She has received National Performers Network creation award, “Shakti Dhama woman of the year award” and nominated for LA Stage Alliance Ovation and Kerala Film choreography. She teaches dance, martial arts and yoga in Los Angeles, San Jose and online. “Dance-for-Everyone,” a program she co-created offers free training India and USA. She has performed at Aratani Festival, Amol Palekhar’s “Theatre Beyond Words” festival, South Asian Theater Festival, Rangayana’s Bahuroopi festival, AKKA festival, Kalanidhi Festival, and many more. She is a recipient of California Arts Council’s Individual Artist Fellowship for 2022. She has taught Kalari at PAWMA (Pacific Association of Women Martial Artists) 2019, 2020 and 2021.