Swati Bhise is an Indian Classical dancer that has synthesized key elements of classical dramaturgy into both traditional and contemporary choreography in the performing arts. A multifaceted performer, Swati has worked as an actress, choreographer, script writer, TV host, and curator of art and music festival globally. She has taught at Columbia University and continues to be a guest artist at Barnard, Tisch and NYU across the Eastern Seaboard.  Swati has performed extensively around the world at venues including the National Centre for the Performing Arts (India), U.N. General Assembly, Lincoln Center, Asia Society, Symphony Space, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, SPICMACAY, and the House of Soviet Culture, among numerous other venues. She was the lead in the Mabou Mines opera Daddy meets Durga.  Swati has been a TV show host “Spotlight on Culture”, New York correspondent for Sruti magazine, and curator of art festivals in New York and India. In 2012, Swati founded The Sadir Theater Festival, a three- day festival focused on thought provoking content that takes place annually in Goa. 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. She has served on numerous panels including the five-member grand jury at the 9th annual Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards. (META)  Swati has choreographed the Broadway shows The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Joseph Papp) and Transposed Heads (Julie Taymor). In 2015 and in 2017, Swati’s creations were featured and conducted by her at the Newport Jazz Festival. In 2015, Swati’s creations were featured at Jazz at Lincoln Center.  She has been the 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 2014, Swati founded a film production company called Cayenne Pepper Productions and was the 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.  Swati is a history major specializing in 19th century colonial rule. She is also an outspoken advocate for women’s empowerment with a focus on South and South East Asia. She is a Lotus Circle advisor for The Asia Foundation, which serves to empower women and girls in Asia through education.