Deepti Mukund Navile
Deepti Mukund Navile is the Founder & Artistic Director of the Natyabhoomi School of Dance, Maryland, USA established in 1994. Natyabhoomi is the fruit of her passion and dedication and offers quality dance instruction in the Mysore Style of Bharathanatyam while providing cultural education to its students. The school, under the direction of She , has performed at many prestigious venues all over the US and India including the Strathmore Music Center, Barns at Wolf Trap, Children’s Theater at Wolf Trap, Kennedy Center, Lisner auditorium, Karthik Fine Arts & Brahma Gana Sabha, Chennai, to name a few. Natyabhoomi has presented unique thematic productions and dance dramas - Surya, Meghdhoot, Andal, Kumara Sambhavam, Geetha Govindam, Ritumala, Ishani, AUM, Rithusamhara. Rasayathi, Rukmini Kalyanam to name a few. She collaborated with Sandra Atkinson of the Light Switch Dance Theater and the famous flautist Deepak Ram to create the 'The Girl Child Project' which is an endeavor to promote women empowerment through the Arts. In April 2017, Natyabhoomi dancers presented Geeta Govindam at the 9th American Natya Festival at St. Louis, MO. December 2018 - January 2019, She along with Natyabhoomi Company dancers went on a highly successful performance tour to India. Natyabhoomi celebrated its Silver Anniversary in 2019 with year long events and performances to celebrate dance and the community they have been part of all these years. The Natyabhoomi Dance Company also toured & performed in India as part of the celebration.
Deeepti has guided twenty nine students of Natyabhoomi to perform their Rangapraveshas or formal full length solo dance recitals. She has been awarded the ‘Natya Kaumudi’ title by Visakha Art & Dance Association, Vizag India, ‘Natya Kalashri’ title by N. Srikanth Natarajan, India & ‘Nritya Rathna’ title by Kuchipudi Dance Academy. During the pandemic years, She worked tirelessly with many Arts Organizations, in India and the US, and presented many well received Online Live and Recorded performances. She has created, staged and performed many thematic productions, the proceeds of which have been donated to many charities that help shelter and educate under privileged children. She is actively involved in making Indian Classical Dance more accessible to mainstream audiences and is focused on educating audiences about India's rich culture and heritage. She has been the dance chair of the World Kannada Conference in 2006, the Chairperson for the Indian Dance Educators Association from 2012-2014 and Director of Programs on the current board (2019-2021). She has in the past worked closely with the Indian Embassy in Washington DC to help promote Indian Dance. She taught an introductory class on Indian Dance at the Montgomery Community College, Maryand. She also has conducted Artist Residencies in Bharathanatyam in local High Schools. Her passion for dance carries through in her work with senior living homes, schools and mental health organizations to help their members through dance therapy and movement. Apart from dance, She , under the banner of Hasta - The Creative Hand, She creates magic with colors and traditional Indian designs to make one of a kind pieces. Deepti’s pieces are unique hand-created expressions of art in an array of colors & alluring designs in terra cotta, wood, cloth & other materials.