Nritarutya

What Nritarutya does

Nritarutya is a contemporary Indian dance company founded in 2000 by Mayuri Upadhya and Madhuri Upadhya, headquartered in Bangalore, India, and operating under the legal entity Nritarutya Arts Academy (a registered nonprofit organization). Its core offering is live dance performance and choreography that fuses classical Indian forms (Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi, Kalaripayattu) with contemporary techniques, supported by a permanent ensemble of 30 professionally trained in-house dancers and an annual engagement of more than 500 dancers through auditions, mentoring, and collaborations. The company's product portfolio is anchored by three flagship productions — Prayog (an experimental dance series since 2003), BHAKTI (a multi-disciplinary performance on Indian Saints and Mystics), and Bodies Have Stories (a 2025 multidisciplinary film combining dance, photography, and interviews) — plus recurring programs including the Adhyaya biennial festival, the Bembala scholarship program for movement artists, dance education classes, and the Corporate Mantra workshop vertical for team-building.

Revenue is generated across four professional-services streams: performance fees for live events at festivals, corporate functions, and private venues; corporate workshops delivered through Corporate Mantra; structured dance education (classes, youth wing, masterclasses, intensives); and commissioned production collaborations with Bollywood, musical theatre, and fashion clients. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is obtained via direct inquiry. The company serves a hybrid customer base of enterprise clients (Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Pro Kabaddi League, Make in India, Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla, Amitabh Bachchan's 70th birthday, Bollywood film productions), individual dance students, and educational institutions. Distribution is event-driven and community-led, with international touring presence across India, Europe, the USA, the Middle East, the UK, Germany, and Switzerland, supplemented by digital content on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. There is no proprietary software, no AI/ML capability, no patents, and no external funding — the company operates as a founder-owned independent dance company with no parent or subsidiary structure.

Name

Nritarutya

Legal name

Nritarutya Arts Academy

Website

https://nritarutya.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nritarutya is a Bangalore-based contemporary Indian dance company founded in 2000 by Mayuri and Madhuri Upadhya, delivering live performances, commissioned productions, corporate workshops, and dance education through a 30-dancer in-house ensemble and programs including Prayog, BHAKTI, Bodies Have Stories, Adhyaya, and Bembala.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts and Dance Services

NAICS

Dance Companies (71112), Other Performing Arts Companies (71119)

akta.pro primary industry

Contemporary & Modern Dance (MPAGADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance) (EDAMAAAH), Dance Festivals & Dance Series (MPAGADAJ), Dancers, Choreographers & Dance Troupes Booking (HSACAHAD)

Keywords

• Contemporary dance productions
• Dance education programs
• Corporate movement workshops
• Choreographed stage performances
• Classical contemporary dance

Headquarters

HQ city

Bangalore

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Performance Fees: Revenue from live dance performances at festivals, corporate events, stage productions, and touring shows. The company performs at major platforms in India and internationally, including events like Pro Kabaddi League openings, fashion weeks, and private events.
2. Corporate Workshops: Corporate Mantra exclusive workshops offered to businesses, utilizing dance as a tool for human resource management, team building, creative growth, and work efficiency improvement.
3. Dance Education: Revenue from structured dance education programs including classes, training, masterclasses, and dance intensives. The company offers training to young dancers and conducts workshops at various institutions.
4. Production Collaborations: Revenue from commissioned productions and collaborative artistic projects with clients including Bollywood films, musical theatre, and private events.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Nritarutya is a Bangalore-based contemporary Indian dance company that creates and performs original dance productions, delivers structured dance education programs for young dancers, and offers corporate workshops that use movement as a tool for team building and human resource development. The company blends classical Indian dance forms (Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi, Kalaripayattu) with contemporary techniques to deliver live stage performances, festival productions, commissioned choreography for films and theatre, and corporate engagement programs.

Product overview

Nritarutya is a contemporary Indian dance company founded in 2000 by Mayuri and Madhuri Upadhya, offering a portfolio of artistic productions, educational programs, and professional development initiatives. Core productions include Bodies Have Stories (a multidisciplinary film exploration), Prayog (experimental dance compositions), and BHAKTI (multi-disciplinary performance on Indian Saints). Supporting programs include Bembala (scholarship for movement artists), Adhyaya (biennial festival), Corporate Mantra (corporate workshops), and dance education classes. The company creates innovative, visceral and ethereal experiences that widen perceptions of dance while celebrating India's cultural magnificence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bembala: A scholarship program for movement artists in India providing financial assistance, mentorship, and peer support. First edition was in 2025.
• Adhyaya
• Bodies Have Stories
• BHAKTI
• Prayog

Products and services

• Bodies Have Stories A multidisciplinary artistic exploration conceptualised and directed by Mayuri Upadhya, exploring the body as an archive of lived experience through dance, photography, and interviews. Reflects on identity, resilience, and imperfection, delivered through three visual mediums: Vāchika (interviews), Āngika (still photography), and Āharya & Sātvika (dance film). Aimed at general audiences and cultural consumers.
• Prayog Experimental dance production series meaning 'experiment' in Hindi, showcasing bold, imaginative and intuitive artistic creations. Multi-media productions feature musicians, designers, dancers, visual artists, singers, and actors collaborating on contemporary dance experiences that showcase modern India through dance, theatre, and design aesthetics.
• BHAKTI A multi-disciplinary and multilingual performance experience that immerses audiences in the profound wisdom of Indian Saints, Poets, and Mystics. Weaves spirituality, philosophy, and devotion through dance, music, and dynamic theatre. Targeted at audiences seeking culturally-rooted contemporary performance.
• Corporate Mantra Customized dance and movement workshops offered to corporate clients, using dance as a tool for human resource management, team building, creative growth, interpersonal skill development, and work efficiency improvement. Engagement via [email protected]. Targeted at businesses seeking creative employee engagement programs.
• Dance Education Structured dance education program providing training to young dancers, including classes, youth wing programs, masterclasses, and dance intensives. Backed by a strong ensemble of 30 professionally trained in-house dancers and opportunities for dancers across India. Includes workshops at external institutions. Targeted at aspiring dancers and students.
• Adhyaya Festival Nritarutya's biennial festival celebrating dance and art, featuring innovative and experimental works from promising dancers and companies in Bangalore. Showcases innovation and tradition through curated performance programming. Targeted at performing arts audiences and the dance community.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30 professionally trained in-house dancers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Natura Adventure CrewcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndia's first and only aerial rigging company that rigs people and props to fly for artistic productions. Collaborated on Madhur Milan musical production, providing aerial entries and exits for performers. Natura's proprietary rotor motor technology enables rotating movements of artists.
• Abu Jani - Sandeep KhoslacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrestigious Indian fashion designers who collaborated on Shakuntala musical production. They designed costumes and made the production possible, bringing high-fashion aesthetics to the dance production.
• Feroz Abbas KhanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcclaimed theatre and musical director. Latha BS served as Assistant to Choreographer for The Great Indian Musical and as Rehearsal Director for the record-breaking Mughal-e-Azam musical production by Feroz Abbas Khan.
• Rakeysh Omprakash MehraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBollywood film director for whom Latha BS performed in the film Mirzya, contributing to the cinematic dance production.
• Omung KapurminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcclaimed set designer who collaborated on Shakuntala musical production, bringing visual set design to the stage performance.
• Raghu Dixit ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContemporary folk rock music band that collaborated with Nritarutya to release a visual version of their award-winning album track 'Kidki', combining music and dance visual content.
• Chitraleka Dance Company, UKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK-based Indian dance company with whom Nritarutya jointly produced 'Maya Ayam', a stunning combination of dance artistry with evocative digital imagery, multimedia projection, and spectacular lighting design.
• Scottish Dance TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScotland's national contemporary dance company that conducted workshops for Nritarutya dancers in 2012, featuring performances of their pieces 'Drift', 'Dog', and 'Luxuria'.
• Sampad and Dance Exchange, UKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK organizations that commissioned Mayuri Upadhya for Birmingham International Raw Energy Festival in 2008, working with youth groups to choreograph a finale with 75 dancers.
• MTVminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMayuri Upadhya collaborated with MTV Roadies host Raghu Ram to conceptualize a movement task for contestants. Nritarutya performed, trained, and judged contestants on a fitness and dance round.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Spanda Dance Company: UK- and India-based contemporary dance ensemble working at the intersection of Indian classical forms and modern choreography; highly comparable artistic style and touring model to Nritarutya's Prayog-style productions.
• Zen Dance Company: India-based contemporary dance ensemble working across classical and modern forms; comparable artistic positioning and competes for festival programming and education sector clients in the same market as Nritarutya.
• Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts: Bangalore-based contemporary dance and movement arts organization also founded in the early 2000s; competes directly with Nritarutya for the same contemporary dance audience, festival programming slots, and corporate dance commissions in Bangalore and India.
• Terence Lewis Dance Company: India-based contemporary dance company led by celebrity choreographer Terence Lewis; competes for the same corporate workshop clients, reality TV dance audiences, and Bollywood crossover projects as Nritarutya.
• Shobana Jeyasingh Dance: UK-based contemporary dance company of South Asian heritage; comparable artistic approach (classical Indian roots married to contemporary choreography) and similar international touring model targeting global cultural festivals.
• Chitraleka Dance Company: UK-based Indian dance company with whom Nritarutya co-produced Maya Ayam; comparable repertoire blending classical Indian dance with contemporary and multimedia staging, and similar international touring footprint.

Emerging players

• Natya Institute of Kathak and Choreography: India-based institute combining classical Kathak training with contemporary choreography and performance; comparable to Nritarutya in blending classical Indian forms with modern movement and competing for education segment students.

Broad incumbents

• Akram Khan Company: Internationally renowned UK-based contemporary dance company working at the intersection of South Asian dance and contemporary movement; a larger, more established player in the same artistic category, comparable to Nritarutya's cross-cultural contemporary positioning but with substantially bigger production scale and global reach.
• Scottish Dance Theatre: Scotland's national contemporary dance company and a prior workshop/collaboration partner of Nritarutya; a much larger institutional contemporary dance company that competes for international touring slots and festival programming.

Others

• Sampad South Asian Arts: UK-based South Asian arts development organization that has commissioned and hosted Nritarutya dancers; operates as an ecosystem partner and arts intermediary rather than a direct dance company competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/nritarutya
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/nritarutyarocks
• Facebookfacebook.com/nritarutya
• Instagraminstagram.com/nritarutya
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nritarut-a

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nritarutya