Leela Academy Children & Youth Programs
Leela Academy, 23650 Community Street, West Hills, CA 91304
About
Leela Academy Children & Youth Programs offers training in kathak dance and Hindustani classical music. The program includes a week-long summer camp where students study kathak dance and Hindustani classical music in an immersive environment with some of the world’s most renowned artists and educators. The academy also provides year-round, age-appropriate, standards-based education in kathak and supplemental training in Hindustani classical music, along with curriculum that covers the historical, philosophical, and cultural context of the dance.
• Ages: 5–17 years old
• Schedule: Year-round programs, plus a week-long summer camp for children ages 5–12
As students advance, Leela Academy Children & Youth Programs offers opportunities to study and train at the pre-professional level with leading Indian classical dance and music artists. The Leela Youth Dance Company, part of the children and youth division, is an elite pre-professional, audition-based training and performing group that trains 5 hours per week in addition to home practice. Leela Youth Dance Company is under the mentorship and artistic direction of Leela Dance Collective artist and co-founder Rukhmani Mehta and serves as a platform where teens train as advocates and rising young leaders and ambassadors for Indian artistic heritage.
Leela Youth Dance Company has performed nationally at venues and festivals such as the WorldWideWomen’s Girl’s Festival, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Philadelphia Youth Festival, and San Francisco Symphony Hall alongside students of the San Francisco Ballet. Leela Academy has studios in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, and New York, with affiliate centers in Boston, Toronto, and India, and students in other cities and countries are invited to join the online studio.
Parents describe long-term participation and detailed instruction in kathak at Leela Academy, including many performances over the years, some on professional stages. Families also report positive experiences with online workshops and virtual classes, noting instruction in kathak technique, proper practice, terminology, and history from teachers such as Rina Mehta and Ria DasGupta.
Last updated June 9, 2026.
• Ages: 5–17 years old
• Schedule: Year-round programs, plus a week-long summer camp for children ages 5–12
As students advance, Leela Academy Children & Youth Programs offers opportunities to study and train at the pre-professional level with leading Indian classical dance and music artists. The Leela Youth Dance Company, part of the children and youth division, is an elite pre-professional, audition-based training and performing group that trains 5 hours per week in addition to home practice. Leela Youth Dance Company is under the mentorship and artistic direction of Leela Dance Collective artist and co-founder Rukhmani Mehta and serves as a platform where teens train as advocates and rising young leaders and ambassadors for Indian artistic heritage.
Leela Youth Dance Company has performed nationally at venues and festivals such as the WorldWideWomen’s Girl’s Festival, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Philadelphia Youth Festival, and San Francisco Symphony Hall alongside students of the San Francisco Ballet. Leela Academy has studios in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, and New York, with affiliate centers in Boston, Toronto, and India, and students in other cities and countries are invited to join the online studio.
Parents describe long-term participation and detailed instruction in kathak at Leela Academy, including many performances over the years, some on professional stages. Families also report positive experiences with online workshops and virtual classes, noting instruction in kathak technique, proper practice, terminology, and history from teachers such as Rina Mehta and Ria DasGupta.
Last updated June 9, 2026.
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