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Pradhuman Nayak has been performing since childhood, having grown up in a family of folk performers in Jharkhand, India. He has toured in the US and throughout India with his family's folk troupe, Kunjban, performing traditional music, folk dance, and the mask-dance drama form of Chhau. Pradhuman has studied Chhau in depth with Manohar Kumar and Dinbandhu Thakur (Purulia style) and Shashidhar Acharya (Seraikela style). Pradhuman has studied Kalaripayattu under Guru Gopinathan of Trivandrum, Guru Subrathan of Trissur and Guru Shahji in Chennai. 

A graduate of the prestigious National School of Drama in Delhi, India, Pradhuman has appeared in numerous plays under the direction of some of the best-known Indian directors, as well as under directors from Japan, the US and Europe, including the world-renowned Robert Wilson.  Pradhuman has played lead roles in award-winning films and theater works in India, including the international award-winning film "Baha."​  He has also performed in the Seattle International Children's Festival, Duluth Children's Museum, Harvard University, other US venues and throughout India with Kunjban: Chotanagpuri Folk Dance Troupe.

Pradhuman has performed with ANIKAI at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, Dance Theater Workshop and Ailey Citigroup Theater in New York City; the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Dance for World Community Festival, Boston Center for the Arts, BU Dance Theater and in cities throughout India. He has taught at Brown University, Barnard College, Tufts University, Ailey Camp Boston, Cambridge Ringe and Latin School, Cambridge Recreation, the Triveni School of Dance.  He currently teaches in New York City at Anamika Navatman and Lotus Arts.

Pradhuman Nayak - Artist in Residence & International Touring Director

© ANIKAYA Dance Theater

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