About Us

Chitraleka Dance Company (CDC) was formed in 1990 by Chitraleka Bolar, its Artistic Director. Based in Birmingham, the company provides access to a wide audience, the beautiful Indian classical dance form, Bharatanatyam. The company achieves this as a dance-in-education company, creating performance, developing the art form and its practitioners, sharing and enhancing the experience of South Asian dance through working in a wide range of community and educational settings. The company has been touring dance productions nationally and has become one of the foremost Bharatanatyam ensembles to undertake creative work.

 

Professional development and outreach work is delivered through the Chitraleka Dance Academy, currently based at the King Edward Sixth Handsworth School in Birmingham. Chitraleka's teaching involvement with young people began 30 years ago when she came across may students with ambitions to develop a career in dance. This led to the launch of a youth wing to the company in 1998. In 2008, training became syllabus-based adopting to the requirements of ISTD grade examinations.

Mission Statement

"To educate, engage & enrich peoples lives creatively through Classical Indian Dance"

The Team

Board Directors
Dr Elspeth Insch OBE – Chair
Piali Ray OBE

Pepita Hanna

Sanat Shelat

Staff
Chitraleka Bolar: Artistic Director
Sharad Bolar: Operational Director
Shamaila Ahmed: General Manager
Liz Bayley: Education Co-ordinator
Jyoti Lata Parwana: Dance Associate

Subhash Viman: Dance Associate