Our Bureau
Baltimore, MD
The Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) has recently announced the name of Anuradha Nehru as winner of the 2025 Heritage Awards under the Person or People category and rewarded her with a $10,000 grant.
Anuradha Nehru, is an internationally acclaimed dancer, choreographer, and educator in the Indian classical dance form Kuchipudi. Anuradha has taught dance for over thirty years in the United States and many of her students have become outstanding young classical dancers in their own right and are now dancing professionally.
Since founding the Kalanidhi Dance School and Company more than 30 years ago, Anuradha has expanded it across the region and trained over 600 students in Kuchipudi.
In 2025, Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) has announced six Heritage Awards winners through its traditional arts program, Maryland Traditions, each including a $10,000 grant. Recognizing long-term achievement in the traditional arts, the program accepts nominations annually in three categories: Person or People, Place, and Tradition.
“This year’s Heritage Award winners show us that Maryland’s cultural fabric is made up of traditions from around the corner and around the world,” said MSAC Chair Ruby Lopez Harper.
Anuradha has been recognized by the Governor of Maryland for her dedicated service to the arts and has been supported by the Maryland State Arts Council. She is a recipient of the Master/Apprentice grant from the Maryland State Arts Council and a “Teacher Recognition Certificate” from the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts. In 2016, Anuradha received the Montgomery County Executive’s Outstanding Artist Award for Excellence in the Arts and Humanities and in June 2020, received the Pola Nirenska award for Outstanding Achievements in Dance.
Anuradha is one of the founding members of the Indian Dance Educators’ Association (IDEA), a non-profit umbrella organization of Indian dance professionals established to serve classical dancers and dance lovers, and served as the organization’s Chairperson for two terms.
Founded in 1967, MSAC is an agency of the State of Maryland Department of Commerce that plays an essential role, ensuring every person has access to the transformative power of the arts. To date, MSAC has given 66 Heritage Awards.
