Finalist: Menaka Thakkar
Muriel Sherrin Award for International Achievement in Dance
Menaka Thakkar is a master dancer in three classical Indian styles – Bharatanatyam, Odissi, and Kuchipudi.
Menaka settled in Canada over 38 years ago at the peak of her career and is credited with being the first artist to introduce Indian dance to Canadian audiences. She the founder of the first school of Indian dance and the Menaka Thakkar Dance Company, Canada’s premiere Indian dance company. Thakkar continues to nurture the next generations of Indian dancers and develops uncompromising choreographies which consistently change the face of Indian dance in Canada.