ISHIKA SETH
Ishika Seth (she/her) is the Co-founder & Artistic Director of Ishami Dance Company. She is a South Asian choreographer, dancer, dance educator and writer. An immigrant, storyteller & parent based in the unceded lands of the Ohlone people (Bay Area).
She was the Assistant Artistic Director of the Mona Khan Company from 2011-2021. Since 2007, Ishika has presented her work at various venues in & around the Bay Area and also self-produced shows at NOHSpace & CounterPULSE in collaboration with other artists. Other choreography credits include Gilbert & Sullivan’s “The Sorcerer” for San Jose Lyric Opera and the Stanford Savoyards, “A Murmured Tale” for Chthonic Theater in Oakland, “En Route-The Musical” for Artistes Unlimited in India, SFSU's production of “A Nice Indian Boy” and Aurora Theater’s production of “Wives” in 2021. Ishika, along with Amit Patel, co-directed an original production titled “Unearthed”- Untold Stories of the Ramayana, presented at the ODC theater in San Francisco in April 2022.
She studied Indian Contemporary Dance & jazz in India and had the opportunity to be a part of Santosh Nair’s company Sadhya. Additional training includes Mayurbhanj Chhau with Guru J. J. Sai Babu for one year and yoga with her grandmother since her childhood.
Ishika came to the U.S. in 2003 to pursue her B.A. in Dance from SJSU studying modern, jazz, ballet and choreography. In her works, she strives to blend elements of her cultural background with her eclectic training, examine and dismantle social constructs, and to find the intersection between art & activism.