dancer. choreographer. researcher.
Aparna Keshaviah is a Bharatanatyam dancer who distills the south Indian form to a more raw, expressive core—abstract postures, percussive footwork, and improvisation. Shedding myth and ornament, her choreography reveals precise movements and base states of being that transcend culture. Her modern reformulation of Bharatanatyam has captivated diverse audiences around the U.S., India, and Italy.
In 2020, she began composing hybrid music for her contemporary Indian dance choreography, drawing on her training in Carnatic and choral singing, mridangam drumming, and classical piano. Her compositions have been commissioned and performed around North Carolina, and in collaboration with the world jazz group Free Planet Radio.
Born in the U.S. to South Indian immigrants, Aparna’s life and dance are rooted in hybridity. Off-stage, she leads public health research as Principal Researcher and Director of Wastewater Research at Mathematica. This parallel career allows her dance to remain a deeply personal and uncompromised pursuit.