Najan, Nala, 1932-2002.

Nala Najan (1932-2002) was an American-born dancer, choreographer and writer who specialized in the traditional dances of India. He was born Roberto Rivera in Pennsylvania. As a child he trained in violin, piano and Western dance forms, especially ballet. Attracted to Indian dance after seeing performances by Ted Shawn and Ruth St. Denis and later by Ram Gopal and Uday Shankar, he traveled to India as a teenager to study Bharata Natyam and traditional music as a disciple of the guru Muthukumara Pillai.

Upon returning to the United States, he settled in New York and began to perform at the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival in Massachusetts, as well as at cultural dance festivals across the country. In 1961 he founded the Nala Najan Dance Company, which had a short lived but well received series of performances.

Najan promoted American performances by Indian artists and organized the first American tour of Chhau dance, enlisting the help of Sol Hurok. In the 1970s, Najan became a full time dance critic and writer. He was an editor and contributor to Arabesque magazine and also wrote for Sruti, Rasamajari, and Attendance . He taught Indian dance during this time, passing his knowledge on to dancers such as Shrimathi Gina and Hadassah. Najan also held a formal post as a teacher at Stephen's College in 1971 and taught yoga in Italy for a year in 1979.

In the early 1980s he returned to New York City, where he cared for his ailing parents and continued to teach, write, and advocate for Indian dance in America. He remained in New York until his death in 2002.

From the guide to the Nala Najan papers, 1930-2002, (The New York Public Library. Jerome Robbins Dance Division.)