Joshua George
Co-Founder, Co-Artistic Director
Joshua began his dance journey at the age of 4 under the tutelage of Sri Thomas Ottakkunnel. His early dedication to the classical form of Bharatanatyam was recognized in 2003 when he was awarded the title Nritha Rajan by the Federation of Kerala Associations in North America (FOKANA), becoming one of the youngest recipients of the Kanaka Chilanga (golden bells) for his performance. His training continued under the able guidance of Smt. Poonam Mahesh, artistic director of Nrityanant Performing Arts, whose mentorship helped shape his approach to both technique and rendition. Under her guidance, Joshua has widely performed and received numerous accolades including the first-prize award at the Cleveland Thygaraja Festival dance competition in 2009 and 2011 as well as being honored by Kalavedhi International for his contribution to the arts. He co-founded the Anubhava Dance Company in 2015 with the hope of amplifying the voices of second-generation Indian-American artists and inspiring more youth to engage with the traditional-Indian art-forms. In medicine, Joshua aims to blend the intersections of art, community engagement, and social-conscience through a holistic approach to health and well-being.