Kuwait-based Bharatanatyam exponent Dr. Arundhati honored with Doctorate in Fine Arts

Kuwait-based classical dancer, choreographer and educator Dr. Arundhati Singha John has been awarded a Doctorate in Fine Arts (Bharatanatyam) by the University of Orange County in the United States, becoming the first person in Kuwait to receive a doctorate in Fine Arts in the field of Bharatanatyam.

The recognition marks a significant milestone for Kuwait’s cultural and performing arts community and was conferred in appreciation of her lifelong dedication to Indian classical dance, her academic and artistic rigor, and her sustained contributions to performance, choreography and arts education on international platforms.

Dr. Singha began her formal training in Bharatanatyam at the age of four and later pursued advanced studies at the prestigious Kalakshetra Foundation in Chennai, one of India’s foremost institutions for classical arts.

She further broadened her artistic practice under the guidance of eminent figures such as Smt. Mallika Sarabhai and the late Smt. Mrinalini Sarabhai at the Darpana Performing Group in Gujarat, where she explored contemporary Indian dance and movement theatre.

In addition to Bharatanatyam, she trained in Kalaripayattu, the ancient martial art of Kerala, and studied acting at the Roshan Taneja School of Acting in Mumbai, experiences that have shaped her distinctive performance style, combining technical precision with expressive depth.

Over the years, Dr. Singha has performed extensively in India and internationally, including in the United States, Europe and the Middle East, and has choreographed and directed more than 20 major productions.

Based in Kuwait, she is the Artistic Director of Nritta Dhyana – The Academy for Performing Arts, where she has played a key role in nurturing classical dance education.

Through training students of all ages, guiding multiple arangetrams in Kuwait and India, and introducing structured curricula that balance tradition with contemporary relevance, she has made a lasting impact on the region’s arts landscape.

Her achievement as the first recipient of this doctorate in Kuwait underscores the country’s growing presence on the global cultural map and highlights the importance of classical arts in promoting cross-cultural dialogue and preserving artistic heritage.