We at Nava Nritya Dance Academy, the school, its students, dancers, teachers and families have been blessed with 18 years of continued growth. For most people, Sunday is a relaxing day – a time to crawl warmly on the sofa and watch TV. For us at Nava Nritya Dance Academy (NNDA), we cannot imagine a Sunday without dance! During the summer months and national holidays, our dancers and their parents write to us saying how bored they are without dance class! Wondering who we are?

Nava Nritya Dance Academy (NNDA) of Philadelphia is a vibrant family of dancers of ALL ages who are learning and elevating the art of Bharatnatyam (South Indian Classical Dance) and Navanritya (contemporary synthesis of classical dance forms, martial arts, yoga and ballet) to incredible levels of novelty.

Check out our WHYY Documentary that features Anwesha Dutta and our senior dancers, and view our latest photos & updates on Facebook.

While our focus is on strong classical techniques, we believe that creativity and passion makes your art distinctive. NNDA also has a goal of bringing to you captivating music from all around India as well as from other parts of the world that we rarely get to indulge into.

Have you ever been to a show where you see dancers dancing to upbeat traditional classical songs praising Deities and also to world music in 18+ languages through dramas like Snow-white, Tagore’s “Tasher Desh-land of cards” and Sheakespeare’s Twelfth Night? Well that would be US – the dancers of Nava Nritya Dance Academy! We love being different and making a difference in the lives of under-privileged.

Through NNDA we have achieved creative development & gained confidence with every passing year to help many underprivileged children and families in India and USA, especially with the launch of Ray of Hope International Foundation(www.letsgivehope.org). It is this very spirit, of being an academy beyond a “dance school”, which makes Nava Nritya so unique.

Currently we have a large group of advanced dancers (adults and children) who have completed 10+ years of classical dance lessons and five groups of talented children who are enjoying their intermediate and beginner level lessons.

Our classes are currently full, however we can put you on a waiting list to join us in our danci-fied journey as soon as possible. Please email us at navanritya11@gmail.com or call 215-598-5154 for more information.

In addition to Bharatnatyam, Students gain knowledge in Yoga, fundamentals of other classical dance forms and traditional Indian folk dances to develop a strong foundation essential for becoming a true exponent and choreographer of the powerful language of Indian Traditional and Contemporary Art. The fundamentals of other classical and folk dances allows our students to develop “grace” in their movements and a deep understanding of various cultural aspects of India, its festivals, history, folklore, and music.

Our training is focused on utilizing Indian classical dance movements to build agility, grace, strong techniques in precision of movements, creative presentation, choreography skills, and music appreciation. We also spend considerable time with our students to nurture their communication and story-telling abilities, while improving body alignment, posture and stage presence. These culminate into differentiating skills and new level of confidence as our kids prepare for college and adult life.