Sanskruti Dance celebrates 10 years of bringing South Asian dance to UK audiences
From a Cambridge flashmob to national award wins and a London premiere, Sanskruti marks a decade of boundary-pushing dance theatre
Sanskruti Dance is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, marking a decade in which founder and artistic director Krishna Zivraj-Nair has taken South Asian dance from the streets of Cambridge to theatres across the UK, winning national awards, securing multiple Arts Council England grants, and creating a body of work that places Bharatanatyam at the heart of contemporary family theatre.
Founded in 2016, Sanskruti first came to public attention when Krishna was commissioned to choreograph the first-ever South Asian dance flashmob for Cambridge’s Mill Road Festival. Over the past decade, Sanskruti has developed three major productions:
- Apple ‘N’ Spice, a joyful introduction to South Asian dance for young audiences, has now completed more than 50 shows across the UK, won the Fantastic for Families Best Family Arts Activity Award in 2023, and toured venues including the Little Angel Theatre in London, Cambridge Junction, Bristol’s Trinity Arts Centre, Colchester Arts Centre, and Worthing Theatres.
- Magical Honey won the Stobbs New Ideas Award at Cambridge Junction for 2021-22 and went on to premiere at Cambridge Junction in April 2023. The show received a commission from DanceEast alongside Arts Council funding for its national tour and has passed its 20th performance.
- The company’s newest work, Tree of Life, premiered at Cambridge Junction in November 2025 and is currently on tour.
What makes these achievements more remarkable is their context. In 2018, on the day after the premiere of Apple ‘N’ Spice at the Little Angel Theatre in London, Krishna – who created, choreographed, produced and starred in the show – was diagnosed with breast cancer. She completed the tour before beginning treatment.
The company has continued to grow through her recovery, through Covid, and through the challenges facing the arts sector more broadly. Throughout its growth, Sanskruti has remained closely connected to Cambridge. The company has worked with Cambridge Junction as a creative base, has been commissioned by Cambridge City Council, and has launched two dance festivals in Cambridge – Rangeela, a community festival first held in February 2024, and Cambridge Dance Festival, showcasing a range of dance styles, first launched in July 2024.
Krishna has also brought Bharatanatyam and Bollywood into unexpected spaces, including a performance and workshop programme at Addenbrooke’s Hospital’s Arts Dance Festival. This year, Sanskruti was invited to perform at the 20th Anniversary Celebrations of the British Library’s Business & IP Centre – recognition that the company has become a significant cultural presence.
This summer and autumn, Sanskruti brings Magical Honey and Tree of Life to audiences ranging from Birmingham to Croydon, and Leicester to Lichfield. Tree of Life will also be performed at Cambridge City Council’s Out of the Ordinary Festival in August, bringing the work back to Cambridge audiences.
Sanskruti Dance has toured from Cambridge to Cornwall, and Glasgow to Kent, reaching over 6200 people live – and online, their reach is even greater with an audience of almost 43000 – a reflection of the Company’s commitment to bringing the arts to people throughout the Covid 19 pandemic and lockdowns.
“Sanskruti Dance began with my love for dance and the desire to share this love with others. The flashmob on Mill Road was the start,” says Krishna. “Now we have three productions touring nationally, two festivals, and a community that has grown around this work.
“The word Sanskruti means ‘culture’ in Sanskrit. Our mission is to inspire, educate and engage people in South Asian art forms, culture and heritage. We remain committed to our vision of creating dance that can be performed anywhere, for anyone.”
