[Photograph of Aparna Sansad Sindhoor performing Bharatanatyam dance onstage]

Photograph of Aparna Sansad Sindhoor performing Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance, onstage wearing a madisar drape bharatanatyam attire.

Aparna Sansad Sindhoor is a choreographer, director, and founder of Navarasa Dance Theater. Trained in Mysore-style Bharatanatyam, she also studied yoga, Kalari Payattu, aerial dance, music, and theater. She holds a PhD from Boston University and a gold medal in Dance from Mysore University. Sindhoor has created over fifteen contemporary dance-theater works performed internationally, choreographed for Indian films, and received the NPN Creation Award and an Ovation Award nomination. She works between India and the United States.

Bharatanatyam, a classical dance style of India, is indigenous to the Tamil Nadu region and prevalent in southern India. Bharatanatyam serves the expression of Hindu religious themes and devotions. Bharatanatyam was originally performed exclusively by female temple dancers and was not brought to the stage for public performance until about 1930. A vital tradition of Bharatanatyam is a graduation performance, called Arangetram, in which graduates showcase their talents.