Dr. Sarah Morelli is a multi-faceted artist and scholar whose work illuminates the vibrant intersections of kathak dance, Hindustani music, and cross-cultural collaboration. Trained by two iconic artists—kathak virtuoso Pandit Chitresh Das and the legendary sarod master Ustad Ali Akbar Khan—Sarah embodies a rare blend of deep traditional grounding and innovative, intentional exploration. Her book, A Guru’s Journey: Pandit Chitresh Das and Indian Classical Dance in Diaspora (University of Illinois Press, 2019), offers the seminal ethnographic account of Pandit Das’s life, creative vision, and the global flourishing of kathak. She is also co-editor of Music and Dance as Everyday Life in South Asia (Oxford University Press, 2024) a 30-chapter volume championing an inclusive, comprehensive, and embodied approach to understanding South Asian music and dance practices.

A Professor of Ethnomusicology at the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music, Sarah seamlessly integrates music, movement, history, and cultural significance in her teaching. Under her guidance, students delve into kathak’s rhythmic complexity, Hindustani musicality, and related cultural systems, fostering a holistic understanding of the art form. Through her university kathak performance ensemble, Sarah continues the legacy of her gurus by nurturing new generations of dancers and musicians.

As a core artist of the Temporal Taal Collective, Sarah expands on this holistic vision—bringing kathak into dynamic conversation with other musical and dance traditions. In projects such as Nightfall Rhapsody, she embraces “music with open borders,” immersing audiences in the interplay of rhythms and melodies that transcend cultural boundaries. Through her dance, she helps audiences hear the music in a new light, deepening their understanding and connection to its melodic, rhythmic, and emotional layers. She hopes listeners feel the “vibrant, expressive energy” of the piece and become part of its “deep, heartfelt connection” across traditions.

Sarah is also a dedicated member of the Leela Dance Collective—with artistic directors Seibi Lee, Rina Mehta, and Rachna Nivas—an ensemble known for reimagining kathak through collaboration and creative exploration. Her kathak performances have taken her to prominent stages in India and across the U.S. Eager to share her passion with the Denver Front Range community, Sarah founded the Leela Denver, teaching kathak to children and adults alike.

Whether in the university classroom, on stage with the Temporal Taal Collective, or in the dance studio, Sarah invites students and audiences to experience kathak as a living, evolving practice—one where “rhythms are in conversation” and “movement and music become one, flow together in a dynamic journey of sound and gesture.”