Dancer Profile

Sonali is an ardent artist and dancer, in addition to working full time as a technology and environmental lawyer and entrepreneur in New York City. Born to Indian parents in the Washington DC area, she started learning ballet at the age of five, switching to Odissi at seven. She then started learning Kuchipudi at the age of eight from Anuradha Nehru at Kuchipudi Kalanidhi, and she also trained under Padmabhushan Guru Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam. Sonali has danced at the Smithsonian Institute, the Dance and Music Festival in Cincinnati (Imprints of India), and performed in the dance drama Chandalika, directed by Anuradha Nehru, and in Ramayana jointly directed by Anuradha Nehru and Sukanya Mukherji. In addition, Sonali dances international Latin ballroom and American Rhythm, placing first in ProAm with her teacher, Brook Metcalfe, in the Empire Dancesport Competition in New York City. Sonali also performed as a company member of New York City's most innovative Bollywood troupe, Junoon, in its show, "Dil Se."