Palak Dhiman

Palak Dhiman (she/her) is an independent dance artist, choreographer, and educator trained in Kathak since 1993. She practices her art and its related forms in Vancouver, B.C., on the unceded, ancestral and traditional territories of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil- Waututh) Nations. She has participated in numerous stage productions, with Manohar Performing Arts in Winnipeg (2006-2019) and Upasana in Ottawa (2016-2019), and toured across Canada with Usha Dance Ensemble in 2022. Her most recent collaboration with Manohar Performing Arts, was as a guest Kathak performer in the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker, for the RWB’s winter 2024 season in Winnipeg. Academically engaged with dance, Palak completed her MA in Sociology in 2013, focusing on its role in identity formation. As an independent artist, Palak has received support from organizations such as Sampradaya Dance Creations, The Kabir Centre for the Arts, The City of Ottawa, Canada Council for the Arts, The National Arts Centre, Place des Arts (Coquitlam), and New Works, and Massey Theatre among others. She has performed at numerous festivals across Canada, the US, India, and Nepal, and has taught Kathak dance in Winnipeg, Ottawa, Nepal, and currently in Vancouver. Palak's ongoing goal is to increase the representation of the Kathak dance form while showcasing its innovative potential as a universal language of artistic communication.