Rasika Kumar is a Bharatanatyam artist steeped in tradition but with contemporary sensibilities. Based in California’s Silicon Valley, Rasika actively pursues the art form as a soloist, a performer and a choreographer.
Training
Rasika studied Bharatanatyam under the tutelage of her mother Mythili Kumar, Artistic Director of Abhinaya Dance Company of San Jose, California. She began her training at the age of four and performed her arangetram in 1996.
Rasika has received advanced training from renowned teachers Prof. C.V. Chandrasekar, Smt. Kalanidhi Narayanan, Smt. Bragha Bessell and additional coaching and mentoring from Mavin Khoo.
Rasika began her Odissi training in 1994 with Smt. Asako Takami. Since 2008, she has been studying Odissi under Smt. Niharika Mohanty and Smt. Sujata Mohapatra at Guru Shradha.
Performances
Rasika has been performing and touring as a Bharatanatyam artist since 1996.
Rasika toured with and performed in Abhinaya Dance Company’s productions (1996-2000). From 2005 – 2016, Rasika performed as a featured soloist and principal dancer in most of Abhinaya Dance Company performances (20+). She has performed throughout the US and India including Los Angeles, Boston, St. Louis, Indianapolis, New York, and Bridgewater with Abhinaya and toured as a soloist to India, Boston, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, and New York.
Rasika has collaborated and worked with other artists
- Goddess, And… (2016) – Collaboration with Marie Basile (Contemporary) and Karen Gabay (Ballet). Presented by sjDanceCo
- Unfiltered (2019) – Collaboration with Nadhi Thekkek (Nava Dance Theater) and Sahasra Sambamoorthi (Navatman, Inc).
- And She Spoke (2022) – Directed by Vaibhav Arekar.
Choreography
Rasika has been choreographing solo and group work since 2002.
Rasika began her choreography journey after moving to Boston for her undergraduate studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. There, Rasika choreographed and performed in various events in the greater Boston area as a member of MIT Natya. Since returning to the Bay Area in 2005, Rasika has choreographed for many Abhinaya Dance Company’s productions with both traditional and contemporary themes. Her choreography has been featured in venues including the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, SF WestWave Festival, sjDANCEco’s ChoreoProject Awards series, Drive East NYC. Rasika has choreographed and performed several full length solo works.
Learn more about Rasika’s choreography here.
Awards
Rasika has received several awards for her solo and group work.
2008 – Arts Council/Silicon Valley Performing Arts Fellowship
2011 – Isadora Duncan Award for Music/Sound/Text – Abhinaya Dance Company & San Jose Taiko – For collaborative rhythmic arrangement with Franco Imperial of San Jose Taiko
2014 – Lakshmi Viswanathan Award for Tanjore Quartet from Sri Krishna Gana Sabha in Chennai, India – For Rasika’s solo performance in the 2014 season
2018 – Isadora Duncan Award for Outstanding Achievement in Performance – Abhinaya Dance Company’s Vaanara Leela – Co-directed by Mythili Kumar and Rasika Kumar