STEM Dance Kampni is one of India’s best-recognized dance companies, known for its high standard, cutting edge and dynamic performances.
The Kampni has toured over 36 countries with its diverse repertoire of both Contemporary and traditional choreographies.
Award winning Choreographer and Arts Entrepreneur, Madhu Nataraj birthed the Kampni in 1995 to create a versatile dance vocabulary, which explores the limitless possibilities of the human form.
The Kampni is an empaneled entity of the ICCR (Indian council for cultural relations), Ministry of External Affairs, Govt of India
Guru Dr Maya Rao
Guru Dr Maya Rao is a pioneer in the world of Kathak & choreography. Apart from the president of India award, she is a recipient of several state & national awards.
She headed important cultural institutions, been on international juries, choreographed and created festivals at world heritage sites. She runs India’s only degree college of choreography & has trained over 1000 students in Kathak. (details at www.natyamaya.in)
Madhu Nataraj
A graduate of Commerce, Journalism and Choreography, Madhu trained in Kathak under the tutelage of her mother, the legendary Guru - Dr Maya Rao and with Guru Chitra Venugopal and later studied Contemporary dance in New York.
Often called an intersectionist, Madhu believes in the cross illumination between various fields, fueling her vision for the Kampni to inhabit the public domain through the potent medium of Dance.
‘India Today’ chose Madhu as one among India’s 50 Young Achievers. She also received the ‘Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar’ from the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi, Government of India, FICCI Women’s achievers award to mention a few of her accolades. She is an Ananta Aspen Global Leadership Fellow.
With over 200 choreographies to her credit, Madhu is a panelist at important design, cultural, philanthropic, corporate and academic organizations and has performed in and traveled to over 50 countries.
Madhu also heads India’s premier dance education centre- The Natya Institute of Kathak & Choreography- founded by Dr Maya Rao and Kamala Devi Chattopadhyay (Under the aegis of UNESCO)