Swati Bhise

Producer and Director

Swati Bhise has made her mark as a reputed Bharatanatyam Dancer by synthesizing key elements of classical dramaturgy into both traditional and contemporary choreography in the performing arts. In 1977, Swati became the first disciple of Padma Vibhushan Sonal Mansingh. Since her debut performance at The Center of Indian Classical Dances in New Delhi, she has performed extensively around the world at venues including the National Centre for the Performing Arts (India), Lincoln Center, Asia Society, Symphony Space, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, SPIC MACAY, and the House of Soviet Culture, among others.

A multifaceted performer, Swati has worked as a choreographer, actress, script-writer, TV show host with “Spotlight on Culture”, New York correspondent for Sruti magazine, and curator of art festivals in New York and India. Swati’s contributions range from performances at the U.N. General Assembly, choreography of Broadway shows including The Mystery of Edwin Drood and Transposed Heads produced by Julia Taymor, and acting in operas such as Daddy meets Durga. She was an artist in residence at The Brearley School for 22 years and remains an artist in residence at Lincoln Centre Institute and Symphony Space with an emphasis on arts in education.

She served as an ambassador of Indian culture and classical arts in New York for 35 years and founded Sanskriti Centre, a nonprofit organization that promoted Indian artists and introduced Indian classical arts to a generation of American children. In addition to a deep study of music, dance and theatre, she has a Masters in Indian and Chinese history that has led her to combine different artistic mediums: north and south Indian music with western classical Jazz. 2017 August she was invited to open the renowned Newport Jazz Festival with her original Carnatic-Jazz fusion composition. 2015 December, she conducted her first Jazz and Carnatic music symphony at Jazz at Lincoln Centre to a full house, winning her wide acclaim in the Wall Street Journal.

In 2012, Swati founded The Sadir Theater Festival, a three-day festival focused on thought provoking content that takes place annually in Goa. Critically acclaimed theater stars have participated over the years, and she is still the festival’s artistic director. Swati brought the UNESCO heritage art form Kunqu opera, one of the oldest styles of Chinese theatre, to India for the first time with performances at The National Centre for the Performing Arts, Mumbai, and at Siri Fort Auditorium in New Delhi.

In 2014, Swati founded a film production company called Cayenne Pepper Productions after serving as Executive Producer and Indian cultural consultant on The Man Who Knew Infinity, an Ed Pressman Film starring Dev Patel and Jeremy Irons. The film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and went on to screen at The White House to critical acclaim and open festivals in Zurich, India, Dubai, and Singapore, among others. She has served on numerous panels including the five-member grand jury at the 9th annual Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META).

She is an outspoken advocate for women’s empowerment with a focus on South East Asia. She is a Lotus Circle advisor for The Asia Foundation, which serves to empower women and girls in Asia through education.

She recently finished directing a British / Indian self-written period drama set in 19th century India. The film Swords & Sceptres: The Rani of Jhansi is posted to release in 2019.