Leela dance collective

Rina Mehta is a co-founder and principal artist of the Leela Dance Collective. Described as “regal” and “brilliant” by critics, her original works include SPEAK, Chandanbala, and Son of the Wind. Her works have been featured at prestigious venues such as The Broad Stage, Green Music Center, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, National Center for Performing Arts (Mumbai), and have been recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts, the California Arts Council, New Music USA, and the Zellerbach Family Fund.

Rina’s most ambitious initiative is The Leela Endowment, aimed at providing financial infrastructure necessary for dancers to thrive and continue to advance India’s rich artistic heritage. An artist and entrepreneur, she displays her depth of training with legendary kathak master Pt. Chitresh Das. Rina is the recipient of the prestigious Fulbright award and researched the effectiveness of Kathak dance education as a social intervention in underprivileged communities in Mumbai.