Classical Indian Dance · Durban
Storytelling
through Dance
Divaksha Jinabhai choreographs and performs across stage, wedding and cultural programmes in Durban. She builds each piece for the actual room and the actual people in it, never from a template.
Available across KwaZulu-Natal and nationally on request.
Services
What she is booked for
From a single stage piece to a full wedding programme. Every enquiry starts with a conversation about the occasion, the space and the run time.
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Wedding and Sangeet Choreography
Routines built around the couple, the family and the floor you actually have. Rehearsals run at your pace, whether the group has danced before or never.
Read more about Wedding and Sangeet Choreography -
Stage Performance
Solo and ensemble work for festivals, cultural evenings and theatre programmes. Kathak grounding, with Bollywood and semi-classical repertoire.
Read more about Stage Performance -
Workshops and Masterclasses
Open-level sessions for studios, schools and community groups. Technique and expression, taught with the stories the movements come from.
Read more about Workshops and Masterclasses -
Private Classes
One to one and small group tuition in Durban. Beginners welcome, and equally suited to dancers preparing for an exam or a showcase.
Read more about Private Classes -
Corporate and Cultural Events
Heritage Day programmes, Diwali functions, brand launches and gala evenings. Set pieces or a full segment, scaled to the room and the run time.
Enquire about Corporate and Cultural Events -
Media and Collaboration
Radio, film and editorial work, plus choreography for other companies and productions. Previously featured on Lotus FM for Heritage Month.
Enquire about Media and Collaboration
About
A dancer, and an audiologist
Divaksha Jinabhai is a South African dancer, choreographer and storyteller based in Durban. She trained at the Nateshwar Dance Institute and completed her Rangmanch Pravesh in Kathak, and that classical grounding sits underneath everything she choreographs, including the Bollywood and semi-classical work.
She performs with Rudra Dance Theatre, the Durban company founded by Pavishen Paideya in 2017 to build a sustained home for Indian South African dance. With them she has appeared in Shall We Dance at the Playhouse Opera, the annual showcase of Durban's dance scene presented by the South African Dance Teachers' Association.
Alongside the stage work she runs private classes and workshops, and she has spoken about heritage and movement on Lotus FM. She also holds a Master of Science in Audiology from the University of Cape Town, and keeps both careers running at once.
- Training
- Nateshwar Dance Institute, Rangmanch Pravesh in Kathak
- Company
- Rudra Dance Theatre, Durban
- Stage
- Shall We Dance, Playhouse Opera
- Broadcast
- Lotus FM, Style in the City
- Academic
- MSc Audiology, University of Cape Town
Gallery
On stage and in the studio
A selection of performance and rehearsal work. Select any image to view it larger.
In the press
Featured
- The Post Feature
Showcase of Durban's diverse dance scene returns
We intend on showcasing the heart and soul of Bollywood and all that Indian culture has to offer.
On performing with Rudra Dance Theatre in Shall We Dance at the Playhouse Opera, the annual showcase presented by the South African Dance Teachers' Association.
- Lotus FM Radio
Steps of Storytelling: Heritage Month
An episode of Style in the City on how she started dancing, and what she has taken from it since.
Listen to the episode
FAQ
Booking questions
- How do I book Divaksha Jinabhai for an event?
- Fill in the enquiry form on this page and it opens WhatsApp with your details already written out, or message +27 79 638 2488 directly. You can also email divaksha.j@gmail.com. Say what the occasion is, the date, the venue or city, and roughly how many people are involved.
- What kinds of bookings does she take?
- Stage and festival performance, wedding and sangeet choreography, workshops and masterclasses for studios and schools, private and small group tuition, corporate and cultural events, and media or collaboration work including choreography set on other companies.
- Which areas does she cover?
- She is based in Durban and takes bookings across KwaZulu-Natal, including Umhlanga, Ballito, Pinetown, Chatsworth, Phoenix and Pietermaritzburg. She travels nationally on request, with travel outside the Durban area quoted as part of the booking.
- Does she teach complete beginners?
- Yes. Private tuition, workshops and wedding choreography all assume no previous dance experience unless you say otherwise, and most people booking a sangeet routine have never danced before. Groups with a wide spread of ability are the normal case rather than the exception.
- How much does it cost to book a dancer or choreographer in Durban?
- There is no fixed rate, because a single stage item and a full wedding programme are very different pieces of work. Quotes are given per booking once the type of event, the number of items or rehearsals, the date and the location are known. Send an enquiry and you will get a figure rather than a range.
Bookings
Tell her about your event
Fill this in and it opens WhatsApp with the details already written out, ready to send. If you would rather email, the same details go to her inbox instead.
- +27 79 638 2488
- divaksha.j@gmail.com
- Based in
- Durban, South Africa