About your Instructor: Harini Nilakantan (she/they) is a Chicago based professional dancer, movement artist, and content creator from Chennai, India. Harini has over 20 years of training and experience in various dance forms, most notably in Bharatanatyam, Street styles, and Bhangra. She began her training in Bharatanatyam at the age of four and completed her Arangetram (professional debut) at age 9 under Guru Smt. Usha Rahul’s banner of Abhinayadarpanam Dance School in Pune, Maharashtra, India. Her journey led her to Kalaimamani Guru Smt. Roja Kannan’s Bharathanatyalaya in Chennai, under whom she is a current disciple.
Harini aims to create an active space for South Asian performers and dancers in the industry and outside of it, by combining her experience as an active dancer and teacher in the community with her knowledge of navigating art institutions as a holder of a Masters in Museum Studies. She currently dances with and choreographs for MOD - Movement of Desis as their Co-Director for the competitive season and also functions as Co-Director for the MOD Creative during the off-season. She was the Headliner for World of Dance, Chicago, on November 5, 2023. Harini is also the founder/director of the Chicago based dance collective, PatchWerk, who went on to win the Groovy x Reveal Showcase sponsored by RedBullDance.