sonal kumar turakhia

They say that “the apple does not fall far from the tree.” Such is the case for Punam Kumar and her daughter Sonal.  Sonal has been performing for over 35 years. Her love for Kathak began almost immediately upon taking her first steps. As a child, Sonal soaked in the varied rhythms and movements by watching & learning patiently while her mother taught. Her first stage performance was at the tender age of 2.  Punam Kumar jokes that “Sonal always had her ghungroos on at home and would physically turn our faces to ensure we were watching her dance.” Sonal credits her mother/guru for teaching her the value of discipline, focus, all while connecting her to her Indian heritage.  

Some of her duties at Shivam Arts include choreography, communications, costume design, set design, production management, marketing, emceeing, music editing. Sonal has a B.A. in English from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and completed her M.Ed. at the University of Southern California (USC).  Formerly the Assistant Director of the Master of Public Policy Program at UC Irvine, Sonal left her job to take on a new role as a “Stay at Home Mom.” Aside from dancing, she enjoys spending time with her husband and her two children.