We caught up with the brilliant and insightful LABONEE MOHANTA a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
LABONEE, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
One of the biggest and most life-changing risks I have taken was leaving my financially secure and hard-earned career as an actuary to pursue being a full-time Kathak artist.
For years, I tried to do both. I was working full-time in a corporate actuarial job while simultaneously dancing full-time in every other available hour — rehearsing and performing in my Guru’s dance company, teaching at his institution, managing one of its largest centers, and building my solo career. It was fulfilling but exhausting, and each year the pull toward devoting myself entirely to dance grew stronger.
When my Guru, the legendary Pandit Chitresh Das, passed away in 2015, it forced me to take a step back and reevaluate how I wanted to move forward in my dance journey. I realized that if I truly wanted to grow as an artist, I could not continue to split myself between two careers. I had to take the leap — even if it meant stepping away from financial security and a stable career path I had worked hard to achieve.
At the end of 2017, I finally left my job and went all in. I began performing in India, then in France and Ireland, as well as across the U.S. and Canada. In early 2018, I founded my dance school, Lavanya Academy of Indian Arts. Within two years, the school had grown to 65 students, and I was regularly performing internationally.
Of course, COVID-19 disrupted everything, halting live performances. But I adapted — teaching and creating projects online, and staying engaged with my students and collaborators. Once the world began to reopen, performing and touring picked up again, now more vibrantly than ever.
Looking back now, leaving my job was not just about gaining more time — it gave me the space to truly explore the depth and scope of my art. I have been able to collaborate with a wide range of musicians — from Indian classical to Flamenco and Jazz. I became part of Flamenco India, received an award for my first major cross-cultural collaboration, and premiered work that blended Kathak with Jazz, North Indian music, and South Indian percussion. These projects have helped me envision the dancer as a member of the musical ensemble — part of the band — and sparked even more ideas I am currently developing.
This risk brought me closer to my purpose. It has allowed me to live a life aligned with meaning, creativity, and authenticity. And I could not be happier that I chose this path.
LABONEE, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am a Kathak dancer, teacher, choreographer, and the Artistic Director of Lavanya Academy of Indian Arts based in California. I began learning Kathak at the age of 8 when my parents enrolled me in the classes of the legendary Pandit Chitresh Das. That moment shaped the entire course of my life. Over the years, I became one of his senior disciples, performing as a soloist and touring extensively with his dance company. Today, I carry his legacy forward while continuing to evolve and expand the art form in new directions.
As a performer, I specialize in a powerful, rhythmic, and deeply expressive style of Kathak that stays rooted in tradition, while also pushing the boundaries of where and how it can be experienced. I am especially known for my dynamic solo work, precise footwork, and some of the fastest spins in Indian dance today. I am also a leading practitioner of Kathak Yoga, a technique developed by my Guru in which the dancer simultaneously recites the rhythmic cycle, sings, plays an instrument, and performs — creating a holistic and meditative experience that requires complete presence and discipline.
What sets my work apart is my commitment to preserving Kathak’s classical depth while engaging in bold cross-cultural collaborations. I have worked with Flamenco artists, jazz musicians, Indian classical and folk instrumentalists, and contemporary composers to explore what it means for the dancer to be not just in front of the music, but within it — as an integral voice in the band. Having been awarded the prestigious Dresher Ensemble Residency to support development of a new work, I premiered Milana, a production blending Kathak with Jazz, Hindustani music, and South Indian rhythm traditions,
In addition to performing internationally, I lead Lavanya Academy of Indian Arts, where I train over 70 students and a dedicated dance company across three branches in the Bay Area. For me, teaching is just as vital as performing. It allows me to mentor the next generation, nurture community, and keep this living art form alive and evolving.
What I am most proud of is choosing a path that honors my roots while also being true to my own artistic voice. As a second-generation Indian-American, I see myself as a cultural bridge — deeply grounded in tradition, yet unafraid to explore and innovate. Whether I am on stage or in the classroom, my goal is to keep this incredible art form thriving, meaningful, and resonant with audiences today.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the personal and spiritual growth it brings. At its core, I believe that is what life is truly about. As artists, we are incredibly fortunate to have such a meaningful and beautiful way to explore that journey.
To grow in your art, you must grow as a human being. That means facing challenges, confronting your limitations, and stepping back to truly look at yourself and your reality. It is rewarding, but it is also hard. The artistic path demands honesty, vulnerability, and a willingness to learn from both struggle and inspiration.
Through that process, you deepen your understanding of yourself, the world, and the way everything is connected. For me, that growth—personal, spiritual, and creative—is one of the most fulfilling aspects of being an artist.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
Absolutely. In my creative journey, one of my desires is to bridge the worlds of music and dance—not as separate entities, but as equal voices in the same conversation. Music has always been a driving force behind my movement. The energy, rhythm, and emotion of the music is what stirs me, guides me, and ultimately shapes how I dance.
Over the years, as I have performed at both music and dance festivals around the world, I have noticed something striking: at most dance festivals, there are very few musicians in the audience—and at most music festivals, very few dancers. I have also encountered the reality that some musicians hesitate to collaborate with dancers, often due to preconceived notions or lack of shared experience.
This divide has led me to one of my core goals: to dissolve those boundaries and create a more integrated artistic space. That is what sparked a concept I now bring into much of my work—the idea of the dancer as part of the band. In my collaborations—whether with Indian classical musicians, Flamenco artists, or Jazz ensembles—I explore how dance can engage with instruments and voices as if it were one of them. Sometimes through rhythm and sound, sometimes through melody and movement, and often through the emotion of the music.
For me, it’s not about dancing to the music—it’s about dancing with the music and becoming part of the ensemble. Listening, responding, contributing. That is a mission I am on: to foster a true collaboration between music and dance, where both are in conversation, co-creating something greater than the sum of their parts.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://labonee.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/labonee_mohanta/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/labonee.mohanta
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/labonee-mohanta-1b185969/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@labonee4
Image Credits
Avishek Dey
Gaurav Ganguly
Aparajit Bhattacharjee
Kallab Ghosh