Art is a powerful tool. It grounds us in our cultural heritage, provides a connection point for learning and celebration with our neighbors and community, and is a powerful vehicle for change. The vision of NSPA is to utilize traditional Indian dance and other cultural expressions and programs to achieve all these goals.
Founded in 2004, NrityArpana School of Performing Arts (NSPA) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and was originally envisioned as a space in which to engage the Indian American youth and immigrant Indian population to share its rich heritage with the community at large. Today, NSPA has evolved into a dynamic cultural arts center and a leader in multicultural education, celebration, and collaboration in the Greater Cincinnati Area.
Anupa Mirle is the Founder and Executive Director of NrityArpana (NSPA). A world-renowned artist, Ms. Mirle has taught more than 300 students and worked with many schools in Cincinnati bringing Indian culture to classrooms, museums and other locations in the area.
Anupa has been recognized for her contributions to the community by Eye of the Artist (2015 Dada Rafiki), the Ohio Arts Council ( 2103 Heritage Fellow) and UNESCO (2006 Council of Dance). Invited as a judge for inter-collegiate competitions like Midwest Masala and Bollywood America, she also serves as a cultural consultant and choreographer for non-Indian specific organizations, such as the Cincinnati Childrens’ Theater recent production of The Jungle Book.
A native of India, Anupa possesses an MFA in Dance, an MBA, and an MS in Chemistry, the latter of which brought her to Cincinnati to work for P&G before founding NSPA. Her unique background in the arts and the sciences along with her association with AID, has helped her to develop powerful dance pieces exploring issues as varied as corporate ethics, environment, smoking, and gender balance alongside pieces with traditional themes like Kaalidaasa’s Ritusamhara. Married to a theatre lover, she has also forayed into theatre and has worked with her husband Dr. Srinivas Mirle on a few productions.
This six-year, curriculum-driven program is designed to prepare students for the traditional Indian Rangapravesh, or Dance Debut. Students work with NSPA Founder and Master Teacher Anupa Mirle to master the intricate movements, rhythms, and storytelling skills required in this beautiful and important cultural keystone in Indian tradition.
“Rangapravesam is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘debut’. Ranga means ‘stage’ and Pravesham means ‘entry’. Rangapravesam has begun to mean different things to different people. For some, it is simply that performance in which the spotlight is only on oneself.”
Anupa Mirle
Shailaja Akunuru