NATALIA

NATALIA'S DANCE BIOGRAPHY: Taal (rhythm), Ang (grace), and Abhinaya (expression) - Natalia integrates these three essential elements of Kathak to present this rich Indian classical dance form on stages internationally. Her holistic training as a dancer has combined the stylistics of tradition and the dynamism of the contemporary. As a performing artist, Natalia aims at highlighting the uniqueness of Kathak’s subtle and sensitive aesthetics, which are threatened in this age of violence. Natalia's technique is distinguished by the clean sharpness in her grace, statuesque poses, fast footwork, and speedy spins. Rooted in a multi-ethnic background, Natalia presents the art of Kathak to a variety of audiences of all different cultures, using her dance as a means of transcending cultural barriers. She believes this may be done by bringing back to life the universal mode of expression present in Kathak, storytelling, onto the modern stage. Her journey as a dancer has been a long yet rewarding one, starting from the tender age of four years old. Since the beginning, upon her very first sight of Kathak, Natalia was passionate and dedicated about training and mastering the dance form, with support from her Peruvian mother and American father. Within the past few years Natalia has been continuously visiting India to receive intensive tutelage from her present Guru, Kathak maestro Padmavibhushan Birju Maharaj. However, much of her training took place in the U.S., prior to coming to India, at the Anila Sinha Foundation’s Kathak Nrityakala Kendra in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, founded by Dr. Birendra Sinha. There she took instruction several years from Smt. Sandhya Desai, disciple of Padmashri Kumudini Lakhia. Ms. Kiran Chouhan taught Natalia during her last year before graduating. As a child, Natalia’s initial instruction began with Ms. Mekhala Natavar of the Jaipur Gharana style and later continued in Lucknow Gharana style with Ms. Purnima Shah. In the year 2008, Natalia was awarded a prestigious fellowship as Senior Performing Artist from the American Institute of Indian Studies. Graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in South Asian Languages and Cultures from the University of Wisconsin, Natalia now continues her studies and performs as a Kathak dancer in India and the U.S.A.