SCHOOL
Nritanjali Dance Academy
About the Dance Academy
Nritanjali Dance Academy
was founded by Smt. Bindu Pratap
in 2006 to enrich and cultivate young talents through systematic training to advance, respect, and admire the rich culture and beauty of two South Indian divine dance forms, Bharatanatyam and Mohiniyattam. Her mission is to instill an understanding and appreciation for the art and culture of South India and to showcase these wonderful art forms to the community. She works relentlessly with her students to bring out their innate talents, training them to visualize the rich cultural backgrounds so they can express themselves naturally.
Smt. Bindu Pratap,
disciple of Guru Meera Nambiar who mastered from the renowned Padma Bhushan Dhananjayans, and Kalamandalam Kalyani kutti Amma, is an accomplished dancer, choreographer, teacher, and founder and artistic director of Nritanjali Dance Academy.
Smt. Bindu Pratap’s passion for dance started when she was four years old, and she became a state winner during her school youth festival days. Her unique blend of Kalamandalam and Kalakshetra styles, emphasizing Natya, expressions, and grace, captivates audiences and delivers a rich classical experience. Bindu has showcased her talent nationally on several prestigious multicultural platforms, including the National YoungArts Foundation, World Arts West Festival in San Francisco, and the prestigious Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival.
Beyond staging classical performances, Smt. Bindu Pratap and her team have had the privilege of being part of theatrical productions such as One in Eleven, Sense Beyond, Karna, Vayu Putra, and Sanga Tamil—dance musicals by Guru Madurai R. Muralidharan. Some of her recent productions, Dakshina and Nakshatra, were widely acclaimed in the Bay Area as part of Nritanjali’s 10th and 18th anniversary celebrations.
Nritanjali has also played an active role in philanthropy, organizing major dance fundraisers such as Nartana Malika for Kerala flood relief in 2018 and Samanya for Voice of a Child in 2016, along with supporting various other charitable causes, including Chennai Flood Relief, Sahanarthana, Odisha, OSAAT, and the Berkeley Asha Foundation.
Since 2017, Nritanjali has been affiliated with Potti Sreeramulu University, India, through the University of Silicon Andhra, offering academic programs in Bharatanatyam.
Apart from her dance career, she has a master’s degree in computer science and relinquished her IT profession to devote herself full-time to pursuing her true passion and passing it down to the next generation.
Our Foot Steps Were Here..
Nritanjali has been affiliated with Potti Sreeramulu University, India through University of Silicon Andhra since 2017 to offer Academic programs in Bharatanatyam.