Navtej Johar

Graceful, fearless, and deeply thought-provoking, Navtej Singh Johar has spent decades reshaping the way India looks at classical dance, identity, and self-expression. One of the country’s most respected Bharatanatyam artists, Navtej Johar is equally recognized for creating history as the lead petitioner in the landmark ‘Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India’ case, which led to the 2018 Supreme Court verdict striking down Section 377 and decriminalising homosexuality in India.

Trained at the prestigious ‘Kalakshetra Foundation’ in Chennai and under legendary dancer Leela Samson, Navtej built a powerful artistic voice rooted in Bharatanatyam while constantly pushing beyond its conventional boundaries. His choreography often combines movement with politics, philosophy, history, and personal identity, making his work stand apart in the Indian classical arts space. Productions like ‘Tanashah’, inspired by Bhagat Singh’s prison writings and essay ‘Why I am an Atheist’, received immense acclaim for their bold and unconventional storytelling.

Navtej is also among the few prominent male Bharatanatyam performers to emerge from a Sikh background, a distinction that further shaped his unconventional artistic journey. His work has extended beyond dance into yoga, somatic studies, architecture, and urban sensitivity through initiatives like ‘Studio Abhyas’, the ‘Abhyas Trust’, and his movement-based practice ‘Abhyas Somatics’.

A recipient of the prestigious “Sangeet Natak Akademi Award” for Contemporary Choreography, Navtej has also contributed extensively to academia and research. He has taught Dance Studies at Universities and served as an international research fellow at Freie University, where he explored intersections between performance, yoga, and urban design.

Beyond the stage, Navtej has appeared in internationally acclaimed films and series including ‘Earth’, ‘Silent Waters (Khamosh Pani)’, and Netflix’s ‘Kohrra’. He is also actively associated with animal welfare and urban awareness initiatives, advocating for more compassionate and human-centered public spaces.