Rising Stars: Meet Nandini Kannan of LA County

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nandini Kannan

Nandini, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Hi, I am Nandini Kannan – a health equity specialist, versatile movement artist, caretaker, and mentor.

Born and raised in LA County, I grew up closely tied to a South Indian community as my parents immigrated to Los Angeles in 1975 and found a home away from home. I was always drawn to expression through dance, but I was a quiet and shy child. I started learning a hereditary South Indian dance form called Bharatanatyam when I was seven, which blossomed into a way of life. I performed a lot with the Arpana Dance Company from 2007, which exposed me to different venues, collaborations, and artistic spaces. Like most South Asian kids, although dance was a passion, I initially chose an educational path toward medicine. But I ended up receiving my undergraduate degree in both public health and psychology. I was always interested in the human mind and behavior, and started to discover my passion about holistic health and wellness equity. Through caretaking and after the passing of my mother (amma), who had undergone depression and cancer, I was fueled to live out my mission of helping communities and individuals who might be experiencing similar conditions that affect their minds, bodies, and spirits.

I moved to New York City in 2016 to pursue my graduate degree in public health, and to connect with various communities, keeping my amma’s essence alive through mission-based work. I worked on health promotion programs that addressed social needs and resource connection. Relationship building and strengthening the access to health and wellness in spaces outside of clinical care were vital in these efforts. Alongside that, dance was still very much so part of my life and kept me grounded. I realized that community became the root of everything I did in life. I connected with so many individuals who did amazing work in so many spaces and realized the common factors – creativity, art, and stories were the absolute source of brilliance and healing. I then began to train in different dance forms, choreograph, and explore other collaborations more consistently. I started to truly find my voice, confidence, and sense of belonging within the different artistic communities, and channeled understanding, healing, and the power of stories through dance in a much different way than before.

I moved back home to LA in 2022 to take care of my 82-year old father, with a new perspective and relationship to the city and communities I grew up with. I have come a long way in my personal journey with owning up to my purpose, and with the help of my mentors and support system, I can finally proudly say that I am an empathetic leader and versatile movement artist.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Absolutely not. And I am still navigating through struggles and rough roads. But I wouldn’t change any of it because it has given me so much resilience and insight. Throughout all of my pursuits, both academically and artistically, I have constantly questioned my worth and if I am good enough. I have always been one to keep my head low, quietly do the work, and not ask for help, even when struggling. I went through multiple episodes of depression, feeling that I was destined for failure and unable to prove myself. But the truth became that these failures would lead me to my success and purpose. As much as it broke me and I thought there would be no space for me in this world, the multiple rejections and failure were all redirection.

Did it take time? Yes.
Was there a lot of noise? Yes
Did I want to give up? Absolutely.
Do the struggles ever go away? No – we just get better at navigating them.

There was the struggle of pushing past conventional career paths and navigating parental and community pressures and expectations, academic failures and pivots, financial stability pressure, job and project rejections, being overlooked so many times, losing my mom, adjusting my goals due to aging parents, and navigating spaces being undervalued as a woman of color. I’ve had to constantly redefine myself, work through my traumas, and fight those internal and external battles just like everyone else. Some of these struggles and sentiments still hold true. But the mental strength cultivated through these experiences have enabled me to now push past with more ease. And I feel strongly that these struggles within each of our journeys and stories are what makes it so powerful and inspiring.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I have taken on multiple roles in my life that have become part of my identity. In my work as a health equity specialist, I am an empathetic leader who advocates for access, health literacy, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and health equity. I am also a mentor for Bharatanatyam with Arpana Dance Company. I help young South Asian women deepen their connection to the art form through a more holistic approach as well as focus on refining the nuances and details of the technique. I love this role because it involves so much of the mind, body, and spirit connection, as well as strategies and goal setting. My vision as a versatile movement artist is creating and performing intentional movement and riveting pieces that inspire communities to heal their minds, bodies, and spirits. I love dancing and creating movement for various styles of dance, but what I resonate most are with pieces and projects rooted in storytelling and expression.

I am most proud of my integrity and heart. Although I have multiple careers and roles that I play in life, I understand my roots and grounding, and show up in each space consistently in my values. I have a balance of preserving and respecting tradition and heritage while exploring modern ways of moving and thinking. I love connecting deeply with individuals, especially through work. For example, when I have my wedding clients, I love putting a sense of their personalities and stories when creating their first dance. When I mentor, I observe closely to understand the strengths and weaknesses and tailor my advice and methods to my mentees. I lead with love, empathy, intention, and humility. Along with that, what also sets me apart is the many roles I’ve had to play in my life, various training in different dance styles, work experiences in different spaces, and that I have these multiple passions that I have been integrating and am finding convergence with. These life experiences have equipped me with various skill sets and perspectives that make my approach unique. I truly believe that we are multi-faceted human beings and shouldn’t limit ourselves to one thing or identity, especially when it comes to chasing purpose.

Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My favorite childhood memory was encompassed in weekend mornings. Starting Saturdays off with sitting in my amma’s lap while she did her daily prayer, with the smell of incense and feeling of her vibrations as she chanted. Then, while I got excited about Saturday morning television – a series of cartoons followed by Bollywood music video shows that I would dance and sing along to – the smell of roasting spices would fill the room from her cooking preparation. This was my definition of comfort before I could even realize it.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nanderohni
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nkannan92
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nanderohni

Image Credits
Photos by Edi Roque, AllyVisuals, Sam Teran, Ruben Samuel Cortez