Natyamandala is a Yale-based Indian classical dance group in New Haven, CT that promotes traditional Indian dance forms through performance, shows, workshop and other events. We contribute to the New Haven community via teaching, charity and dancing.

Classical Indian dances, which take their scaffolding from the Natya Shastra, feature intricate footwork, complex rhythms, and depictions of mythological stories and emotions that can transport the dancer and the viewer to temples and spiritual places far beyond their surroundings. Some classical dance forms such as Bharatanatyam were traditionally performed in temples to invoke the gods, other forms such as Kuchipudi were performed as dance dramas and ballets. Pieces range range from purely abstract and rhythmic, to devotional to dramatic to modern, with depictions of the divine in various forms.

Natyamandala is based at Yale, and run by Yale faculty Dr. Smita Krishnaswamy New Haven, CT and performs regularly at Harkness Auditorium and the Yale School of Medicine. See our events page for upcoming shows and workshops. We also promote the mission of Yale to have a shared future with New Haven, by offering free lessons and workshops, and by partnering with local charities to reduce food insecurity in the community.