Initiatives
In the wake of her guru’s passing in 2016, Rachna joined forces with her gurusisters of almost two decades, Rukhmani Mehta and Seibi Lee, along with ethnomusicologist and student of Pandit Das, Dr. Sarah Morelli. Together they forged a collective vision for preserving the integrity of their guru’s teachings while advancing kathak and making their own contributions to the art. At the core of the Collective’s approach is collective creativity. Rather than being centered around one artistic vision, it brings together a multitude of artistic voices, firmly believing that diversity of thought and open exchange advances and sustains the art.
Leela Dance Collective’s repertoire represents the breadth and depth of kathak dance, with works ranging from kathak and tap dance collaborations, to dance dramas depicting stories from India’s ancient epic the Ramayana, to pop-up street performances, to traditional kathak solos. The Collective has garnered critical acclaim and engages some of today’s leading dancers and musicians, as well as collaborative artists of other genres. Past highlights include appearances at Ford Theaters, The Broad Stage, Kimmel Center, the Green Music Center, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, National Center for the Performing Arts in Bombay, Maui Arts & Cultural Center, and NC State LIVE.
Leela Dance Collective
Rachna was awarded the 2022-23 New York Public Library for the Performing Arts Dance Research Fellowship under the overarching theme, ‘Dance and Ecology’. The Jerome Robbins Dance Division at NYPL hosts the largest and most comprehensive archive in the world devoted to the documentation of dance. Her 6-month research was commissioned to utilize these exclusive collections and elevate Eastern philosophies of how dance is consumed, perceived, and approached as a platform for social change. Her culminating research talk and dance titled Nature, Woman, and the Macrocosm: How Indian classical dance transmits a consciousness of indivisibility, showcased the intersectionality of her dance form with ecofeminism, interdependence, and kinship with nature and the cosmos. The fellowship also served as the genesis for her newest project and work Reclaiming the Divine Feminine.
Dance Research Fellowship
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
Rachna’s passion and commitment for building pride of Indian classical art in the South Asian community has led her to emerge as a powerful role model. In particular, she believes in making the art relevant, inspiring, and empowering for youth. As such, she was Artistic Director of Leela Youth Dance Company (formerly Chhandam Youth Dance Company) for almost a decade - shepherding excellence, leadership, and dance empowerment amongst teens. Under her vision, she built the program to become a space for the next generation of South Asian girls to find their unique voices and to become tomorrow’s leaders and changemakers. This included creating LYDC programs like the youth conference Who are We: Activating Youth Voices in the South Asian Diaspora, a big sister youth mentorship program, a community service leadership program, and created new works for the WorldWideWomen girls festival, Philadelphia Youth Festival, Whoop Dee Doo, a contemporary artist-led initiative that partners with youth performing artists to create one-of-a-kind variety shows, and many more.
Leela Youth Dance Company
During the pandemic, Rachna spear-headed an ambitious project to share the stories and journeys of her many gurusisters and gurudidis as part of Pandit Chitresh Das’ extraordinary legacy in California. This interview series gives a deep look at how the unique lineage of kathak developed over the course of four decades - a lineage often coined today as the California Gharana. The interviews include senior-most disciples and students as well as the renowned musical artists that influenced Das’ artistry and development. Dancers and musicians alike, each artist highlighted in this series has left an indelible imprint on the legacy of the Chitresh Das Dance Company and kathak dance in the United States. Their stories and artistic journeys are documented here as a way to honor history and lineage and shepherd the art form’s development into the future.
Exclusive Interview Series:
The Making of the California Gharana
Prior to founding Leela, Rachna was appointed by Pandit Das to direct his educational institution, Chhandam School of Kathak, in the San Francisco Bay area. She was instrumental in building the school to become one of the largest and most influential North Indian art institutions outside of India, with 550 students and almost 20 teachers. Under the tutelage of Pandit Das, she built organizational infrastructure, trained teachers, pioneered a popular and ground-breaking summer camp program, directed school-wide dance dramas with over 300 students performing, and thoughtfully evolved Pandit Das’ curriculum and pedagogy for a changing world and diaspora. This era in Rachna’s artistic journey served as the bedrock of her extensive experience, knowledge, and vision as an educator and convener of community around the highest standard of the art.