Kaustavi Sarkar
Odissi Artist, Scholar, and Educator
Celebrating the Vibrancy of South Asian Dance
Rooted in Odissi and extended through scholarship and embodiment, Dr. Kaustavi Sarkar’s practice positions dance as a living archive of culture. Learn more about her scholarship and perspective on embodiment, as well as see highlights of her past performances.
“Kaustavi Sarkar demonstrates brilliance in her use of learnt forms, particularly in Odissi and contemporary Indian dance.”
– Author Tapati Chaudhuri
Get to Know Kaustavi
Dr. Kaustavi Sarkar is a visionary working tirelessly across scholarship, education, and performance to increase access and acceptance of South Asian aesthetics in the United States while maintaining an active durational solo performance career. She is a disciple of Guru Poushali Mukherjee, Guru Ratikant Mohapatra, and Guru Sujata Mohapatra. She maintains dual careers in academia in the United States as well as professional Odissi performance.
VIEW PHOTOS & VIDEOS
See Past Performances
Dance N Community
Founded in 2017 by Kaustavi, the Dance N Community Research Institute (dNc) promotes South Asian dance through research, teaching, and community engagement. Emerging from Dr. Sarkar's work in community engagement and the Odissi traditional Indian dance form, its initiatives include concert programming, festivals, professional development for artists, and educational opportunities. dNc connects audiences, artists, educators, and scholars to celebrate and advance the rich traditions of South Asian dance.
Outreach Initiatives
We recognize that South Asian dance traditions live and thrive not only in their regions of origin but also in the hands of diaspora artists who carry them forward in new cultural landscapes.
Through our outreach initiatives, we partners with South Asian dance artists in the diaspora to strengthen their creative and professional infrastructure.
Upcoming Events
Gajar
Interfaith/ Anti-Casteism Intervention in 'ShilpaNatanam: Story-Telling Through Moving Images' at Nritya Darpan 2026
April 11 2026
Venue: New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC) , 11 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Get in Contact
Contact Kaustavi with questions on performance, education, outreach, and more.