ARTIST BIO
About
Asian-American actor, dancer, and choreographer Shalaka Kulkarni creates at the intersection of stage and screen with emotional depth, distinctive physicality and cultural fluency.
Trained in two forms of Indian Classical dance (Bharatanatyam and Kathak) and holding an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts from Columbia College Chicago, Shalaka seeks roles that demand complexity—characters who are strong and vulnerable, thoughtful and playful, and who survive with dark humor as armor.
As a dancer and choreographer, she explores mythology and mysticism in a blend of classical and contemporary movement, centering feminine power and offering moments of catharsis and hope. Her choreographic work bridges ancient stories with present-day questions about identity, transformation, fluidity, and belonging. Recent projects include short film What We Carry (supported by 3Arts Foundation) and Nyra's Dreams (Chicago premiere in 2023).
Shalaka has performed across India, the U.S., and Europe, working with acclaimed Indian artists like Leela Samson, Birju Maharaj, and Malavika Sarukkai, and she maintains an active teaching practice in Indian Classical technique. At Columbia College, she worked closely with dance master Nana Shineflug, a pivotal voice in American Modern and Contemporary dance. She was a principal dancer and choreographer with Mandala South Asian Performing Arts and an artist fellow with High Concept Labs. Her choreography has been shown at Dance Chicago Festival, DanceBridge residency at the Chicago Cultural Center, the Center for Asian Arts and Media at Columbia College Chicago, Mandala Arts at Harris Theater, Fever Up series at Chopin Theater, Japan at Bridge Dance Festival at Links Hall, and more. She is interested in choreographing for dance companies and ensemble casts, producing and directing dance and short films, and projects in film, theatre, and television that demand both dramatic strength and physical invention.
Based in Chicago | Represented by Actors Talent Group-Maryann Zeisch.
