Rhythm & Gestures: An All Levels Bharatanatyam Class
Monday, June 15, 2026
7:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Shawl Anderson Dance Center
2704 Alcatraz Ave, Berkeley, CA 94705
$23+
What to Expect
An inclusive, all-levels workshop blending fundamental Bharatanatyam footwork, a routine to popular music, and storytelling through expressive gestures.
About This Event
About the Workshop
Rhythm & Gestures is an open, collaborative community offering designed for movement artists and curious movers of all levels and backgrounds. In this special session, artists from distinct disciplines and cultural styles come together to co-lead a space focused on technique, musicality, and narrative building. Whether you are looking to expand your creative process, experiment with cross-genre collaboration, or simply find fresh ways to move your body, this class is built to inspire.
The Experience
The session is structured to move you thoughtfully from foundational technique into expressive artistry:
- Warm-Up & Foundational Footwork: Begin by grounding ourselves with a warm-up, moving into fundamental adavus (foundational steps) to explore rhythm and posture.
- Choreography & Music: Learn a dynamic, accessible routine set to popular music, bridging traditional movement with contemporary sounds.
- Abhinaya & Storytelling: Wrap up the session with Abhinaya work—focusing on expressive gestures and improvisational storytelling to explore narrative through movement.
Who Is This For?
Everyone! While having some prior Indian dance experience is helpful, it is absolutely not required. You do not need to be familiar with classical Indian dance forms to fully participate, connect, and enjoy this workshop. Dancers from all disciplines, styles, and cultures are welcome.
Community & Accessibility
We believe in making high-quality cultural experiences accessible to our neighborhood. Thanks to the generosity of our facilitators and organizational grant support, Rhythm & Gestures classes are fully subsidized for the community.
This workshop is proudly facilitated by Shawl Anderson Dance Center.
About the Artist
Nadhi Thekkek
@navadancesfNadhi Thekkek is an artistic director, choreographer, and dancer who creates deeply layered Bharatanatyam and experimental movement works. Based in the Bay Area, her choreography uses archival records, oral histories, and community interviews to examine labor, belonging, and identity through the lens of diasporic South Asian women. Her acclaimed touring productions include Broken Seeds Still Grow and the Isadora Duncan Award-nominated Rogue Gestures/Foreign Bodies.
Nadhi has performed at prestigious global venues from NYC’s La Mama to London’s Southbank Centre, and her work was recently commissioned by the Oakland Ballet Company. She trains continuously under Guru Sri. A. Lakshmanaswamy in Chennai, India, and uniquely brings an investigative lens to her art, holding a PhD in Bioengineering from Rice University.
About the Space
Shawl-Anderson Dance Center
@shawlandersonShawl-Anderson Dance Center (SADC) builds and supports a vital and inclusive community for movers of all ages and styles. Founded in 1958, the Center provides dance education, institutional support for artists, a performance and rehearsal venue, and partnerships with other community-based organizations.
SADC is an intentional, welcoming environment actively working to provide a safe creative home for BIPOC students and artists. Grounded in a commitment to dismantle oppressive systems within arts programming, the Center ensures that dancers of all backgrounds, styles, and cultures feel fully seen, valued, and uplifted. It is a space designed for you to show up as your whole self to learn, connect, and create.
2704 Alcatraz Ave, Berkeley, CA 94705, Berkeley, CA
Frequently Asked Questions
Book Now!
Spots are limited — secure yours before they're gone.