About
Colleena Shakti

VALUES

Shakti School of Dance

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Art is a Path

Excellence & Work Hard

Patience & Perfection

Transcend Limitations

Celebrate Culture

The Art is bigger than the Artist

Service & Humility 

Art Uplifts

Lineage

Through Colleena’s long term apprentice-style learning in Indian classical and folkloric dances (spanning over two decades) she has developed her own unique stylizations and methodologies from the solid training base she received from her Gurus. Respectfully distinguishing between tradition and her contemporary fusions, she finds a balance through deep study of underlying philosophies which give rise to the Indian aesthetic.

BIO

Colleena Shakti is an artist of great subtlety and depth. Trained extensively in Odissi classical dance under Smt. Sujata Mohapatra and well-versed in many styles of dance from India and beyond, Colleena lives an artistic path steeped in rich tradition. Yoga, aesthetics and related philosophies are an integral part of her holistic vision of art inspiring her to bridge timeless values with modern expression.

She has had the great fortune to study under some of India’s greatest masters over more than two decades in: Odissi and Kathak dance, Yoga, Kalaripayattu (Indian Martial Arts) and Rajasthani dance. It is her years of immersive study, living with her Gurus and traditional practitioners in India that has given Colleena her depth of insight and ability to translate nuance to her students and audiences.

Colleena has thoughtfully carved her own way in fusion dance projects that celebrate a creative play on the Indian aesthetic experience. Her fusion dance is noted for its elegant reimagining of world dance elements that epitomize grace, femininity, refinement and intricacy.

As an internationally-renowned performing artist, Colleena offers an extraordinarily diverse dance repertoire showcased in both theater and festival stages. She has performed for former president of India (Pratibha Patil), royal families across Rajasthan, Indian Embassy at Cairo, Chidambaram Nataraj temple and arts festivals from Japan to Australia.

Colleena is the founder and director of Shakti School of Dance located in the Rang Nath Venu Gopal Temple in Pushkar, Rajasthan India where she also annually produces The Pushkar Temple Dance Festival. Recently she has added a Summer school program and retreat center at Villa Shakti Crete, Greece and launched online curriculum at her virtual school. Many who seek her instruction find a gentle bridging of tradition and innovation in the structured dance training and reflective philosophical teachings.

Performer

Teacher

Teaching Philosophy

Dear student,   As a teacher I aim to create a rigorous, self-responsible and peaceful environment for meaningful learning experiences where students are nurtured to push their perceived limits with courage and faith in the process…

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My Heart Beats
in Rajasthan!