A three times Indian national champion of Bharatanatyam, Prathiba Natesan is also a Kathak dancer who believes that art has to evolve with time. While retaining the grammar of the classical framework and the Kalakshetra style, she utilizes modern interpretations in her choreography. Prathiba was trained in Bharatanatyam by Gurus Smt. Preethi Menon (Kalakshetra), Smt. Meenakshi Sagar (discipline of Guru J. Suryanarayana Murthy of Kalakshetra), and Smt. Vardhini Subramaniam. She received tutelage in Kathak from Guru Smt. Jigyasa Giri (student of Dr. Maya Rao). She has performed widely in India, Thailand, and the United States. Her other notable achievements include invited choreography and participation in the critically acclaimed play, “The Great Celestial Cow” which involved the training of 20 Indian and American students in Indian dance, and the International Student Association’s “Best of Talent Show Award”.

As part of her professional development, Prathiba engages in guest lectures at various universities on “Classical dances in the Indian diaspora.” She has been invited to speak at the Faculty Dance Concert symposium (Spring 2011) which is a world dance academic symposium that focuses on enhancing the understanding of cultural fusion. Prathiba also served as the secretary of SPICMACAY at Texas A&M University, where she received her Ph.D. in Research, Measurement, & Statistics. She is currently Assistant Professor at the University of North Texas where she teaches graduate level classes. She continues to enhance her dance training by attending workshops by eminent artistes including Priyadarshini Govind, Rama Vaidyanathan, and Shijith Nambiar.