Biography
Navala Chaudhari, originally from London, works internationally as a dance performer, teacher and choreographer.
She began her training in Shaolin Kung Fu (1987-1997) and completed her professional dance training at the NSCD graduating with a BPA Honours in 2002. Engaged in the contemporary dance field for the last 16 years she has worked with Andre Gingras, Bawren Tavaziva, Shobana Jeyasingh, Akram Khan, New Movement Collective, Hussein Chalayan and Union Dance amongst others. From 2007-2010 she worked with Company Decalage as co- director and made works in collaboration “Appel” and “Breaking Point” (place prize semi finals 2008).
In 2009 she made “Amaranthine” with Kevin Edward Turner (Company Chameleon) and was awarded the Choreodrome scholarship programme to research and develop her own work.
Since 2008 Navala has worked extensively with Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui in Belgium as a performer, teacher, rehearsal director and assistant choreographer and joined him with his company Eastman, with the creation of Babel (words) co - choreography Damien Jalet in 2010. Other productions include “Origine", “Puz/zle” (Olivier award winner for Best New Dance Production) and “Sin” co - choreography Damien Jalet, as part of "4D", allowing her to perform on some of the most prestigious stages across the globe.
She acted as Larbi’s choreographic assistant for the feature film “Anna Kerenina” and theatre play “A season in the Congo” both directed by Joe Wright, working as a movement director with leading actors as well as featuring as a dancer in the movie. She also acted as assistant movement director for “Hamlet” directed by Lyndsey Turner at the Barbican theatre. In 2016 she was invited to dance in the movie “Suspiria” directed by Luca Guadagnino and choreographed by Damien Jalet.
She continues to teach worldwide at major dance institutions and professional dance companies including Akram Khan Company, The Place (London), Skanes Dansteater (Sweden), Circuit - est, New Zealand School of Dance, Artesis University College of Antwerp and the National Youth Dance Company where she acted as assistant choreographer/mentor and rehearsal director for Frame(d) choreographed by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and ‘Tarantiseismic’ choreographed by Damien Jalet.
Navala is constantly researching her own movement vocabulary drawing from her extensive knowledge of martial arts, yoga and Capoeira.
In 2018 she curated a new dance piece at Folkwang university titled "Extracts from Frame(d)", remade the piece ‘Amaranthine’ for Company Chameleon's touring repertory and made a new work titled ‘AYU’ at Fontys Dance Academy.
At the beginning of 2019 Navala directed and led the Goa Dance Residency Programme in India (www.goadanceresidency.com) and is now currently dancing in "Orbo Novo" choreography by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui at Nagelhus Shia Productions in Oslo.