Navala 'Niku' Chaudhari, originally from London, works internationally as a dance performer, teacher and choreographer. She began her training in Shaolin Kung Fu (1987-1997) and completed her professional dance training at the NSCD graduating with a BPA Honours in 2002. Engaged in the contemporary dance field for the last 15 years she has worked with Andre Gingras, Bawren Tavaziva, Shobana Jeyasingh, Akram Khan, New Movement Collective, Hussein Chalayan and Union Dance amongst others. From 2007-2010 she worked with Company Decalage as co- director and made works in collaboration “Appel” and “Breaking Point”. In 2009 she made “Amaranthine” with Kevin Edward Turner (Company Chameleon) and was awarded the Choreodrome scholarship programme to research and develop her own work.

Since 2008 Navala has worked extensively with Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui in Belgium as an assistant, teacher and performer and joined him with his company Eastman, with the creation of "Babel(words)" co - choreography Damien Jalet in 2010. Other productions she has collaborated on include “Puz/zle” and “Sin” co - choreography Damien Jalet, as part of “4D”, allowing her to perform on some of the most prestigious stages across the globe.

She has acted as Larbi’s choreographic assistant for the feature film “Anna Karenina” and theatre play “A season in the Congo” both directed by Joe Wright, working as a movement director with leading actors as well as featuring as a dancer in the movie. She was also assistant movement director for “Hamlet” directed by Lyndsey Turner at the Barbican Theatre.

She continues to teach worldwide at major dance institutions and professional dance companies including Akram Khan Company, The Place (London), Skanes Dansteater (Sweden), New Zealand School of Dance, Artesis University College of Antwerp, where the company Eastman is based, and the National Youth Dance Company, where she acted as assistant choreographer/mentor/rehearsal director for the tour of the new production choreographed by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui entitled "Frame[d]".

Most recently she was invited to perform "Les Indes Galantes" and feature in the remake of the 1970’s movie "Suspiria" directed by Luca Guadagnino and choreographed by Damien Jalet.