ABOUT

Leela New York writes a new chapter of the story of Kathak in America. Brought from Calcutta to California in 1971, Kathak planted new American roots that have flourished over the course of five decades. Now this extraordinary lineage takes its long overdue place in New York City – the dance capital of the world. Spearheaded in 2016 by Leela Dance Collective Artistic Director Rachna Nivas, Leela NY began as a grassroots initiative and quickly made an impact on NYC’s dance community through workshops, classes, and performances. With a dedicated core leadership team and a growing demand and interest in the art form, Leela NY established itself as an independent organization, fiscally sponsored by New York Foundation for the Arts. In 2021, Leela NY proudly joined forces with its sister schools in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Denver to form Leela Institute of Kathak, representing a unified, clairvoyant vision for the field of Kathak dance.