Rachna Nivas, Rukhmani Mehta, Michelle Dorrance, Dormeshia

Rachna Nivas is one of the foremost kathak artists in the United States—a choreographer, performer, educator, curator, cultural catalyst, and activist devoted to upholding the integrity of North Indian classical art while advancing its contemporary relevance. Known for her commanding presence, rhythmic precision, storytelling, playfulness, and athleticism, she brings to the stage a rare combination of power, intellect, beauty, and joy—described by critics as "revelatory," "charismatic," and "radiating power and grace."

A radical traditionalist, Rachna's work interrogates Eurocentric and patriarchal paradigms through the lens of feminine consciousness, ancient Eastern philosophies, and embodied ancestral wisdom.

A senior disciple of legendary kathak master Pandit Chitresh Das, Rachna trained for over two decades under his mentorship, rising to principal dancer in his acclaimed company. Today, she carries this lineage forward through her independent body of solo choreographic work, which pushes kathak into contemporary and critical terrain; her Co-Artistic Directorship of Leela Dance Collective, an ensemble advancing kathak through large-scale productions and cross-genre collaboration; and her education and training work as Founder and Director of The Kathak Legacy Project.

Rachna has been recognized by leading cultural institutions for her artistic innovation and leadership. She was Artist-in-Residence at 92NY's Harkness Dance Center (2024–25), where she is also curating What Flows Between Us (2026), a first-of-its-kind festival of Indian classical dance and music centering leading women artists. Other honors include a Works & Process residency (2025) supporting the remount of her acclaimed kathak–tap collaboration SPEAK; the prestigious Dance Research Fellowship of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts (2022–23); and a CUNY Dance Initiative Residency (2023–24).

Her original works include Reclaiming the Divine Feminine, rooted in tantric philosophy and centers Goddess Kali as a force of untamed feminine wholeness—embracing destruction, desire, and transformation as necessary to restoring balance; Unedited, a risk-bound, virtuosic solo grounded in improvisation with live musicians; SPEAK, a legacy-rich collaboration bridging kathak and tap and Indian and African American artistic lineages, co-created with Rukhmani Mehta, Dormeshia, and Michelle Dorrance; Son of the Wind, a large-scale dance drama drawn from the epic Ramayana; and Meera, the story of a medieval Hindu princess who liberates herself from patriarchy through poetry, song, and dance.