Chitra Arvind

 Choreographer – Movement artist – Teacher – Performer

A versatile movement practitioner, Chitra Arvind is proficient in Bharatanatyam, Kathak, and Contemporary dance. Her tutelage under eminent Kathak gurus Smt. Chitra Venugopal, Dr. Maya Rao, Sri Maulik Shah, and Smt. Ishira Parikh and Bharatanatyam guru Dr. Lalitha Srinivasan paved her path to a life of dedication to dance.  Her training in Carnatic Vocal and Veena from a very young age under the tutelage of her mother, Smt. Rama Srishailan has added another creative dimension to her understanding of musicality and aesthetics required for dance.

Artistic Director and Founder of Rhythmotion School of Dance and Music since 2005, Chitra is an accomplished choreographer, performing artist, and body conditioning teacher. She has crafted several critically acclaimed productions in all three dance styles that explore themes including environmental changes, critical social issues, and works of great saints and music composers that portray India’s rich traditional tapestry. Srishtikarta – The Maker, Rakshisu Nammananavarata, Yatra – River of Life, Dasavatara, Asatoma Sadgamaya, Chalana, Sakhi – The Friend Within, to name a few. She skillfully and creatively blends nuances of nritta and abhinaya with individual qualities of the artists to produce works that are classical, innovative, and relevant today.

An empanelled artist of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and a graded artist of Doordarshan, Chitra has traveled extensively around the globe and in India, participating in prestigious dance festivals. As the Cultural Ambassador to South Korea, sponsored by ICCR, Chitra and the Rhythmotion ensemble presented Indian classical and contemporary dance as part of the prestigious Busan International Dance Festival. She was also appointed as a jury member for AK21 Performance for Development of International Choreographers BIDF. She has conducted workshops in choreography and Indian classical dance techniques at the University of California, Irvine; the School for Ballet and Rhythmic, Croatia, and the hearing and speech impaired children at SUVAG Polyclinic, Zagreb. She was invited to work in London for several years with leading contemporary dance choreographers, including Shobana Jeyasingh and Wayne McGregor, as a performer, teacher, and rehearsal director.

Chitra imparts dance education to the hearing and speech-impaired children. Through the Rhythmotion Trust, she curates Chalana-Dance for a Cause, a classical and contemporary dance and music festival in aid of the Deaf Aid Society, which premiered in 2008.

Chitra, who is currently pursuing a PhD in dance, believes that the art form transcends the chaos within and around us; it is a powerful medium of creative expression and an infinite source of physical and mental well-being.

Award

• Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry – FKCCI Social Woman Entrepreneur Award, 2023
• Best Dance Choreographer Award – Azadi Ki Amrit Mahotsav, 2022
• Best Performer Award, Bharatanatyam, Parthasarathy Swami Sabha, Chennai, 2019
• IIDF Contemporary Dance Award, 2016
• National Nrithya Shiromani Award, Kathak, Cuttack Mahotsav, 2013
• Young Achiever Award for Dance & Choreography, Lions Club International, 2011
• Best Dancer Award, Nupura, 2001

Visit Events for more details