WEB DESK – Amrapali Ambegaokar is an actress & the Principal Dancer with recurring roles on 18 episodes in ABC’s Scandal seasons 4, 5, 6 and 7 and she previously recurred in 19 episodes of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy with Guest starring roles on NBC’s Heroes and roles on Shameless, The Mindy Project, Mistresses, The Exes, Hart of Dixie, Key & Peele, Chasing Life, Desperate Housewives, Alias, Boston Legal, ER in TV.
?A UCLA graduate of World Arts and Cultures/Dance
Amrapali left her position as Principal Dancer in Cirque Du Soleil’s Dralion for over 2 years so that she could pursue her childhood dream of acting with the purpose of expanding her performing arts career from live stage to the challenge of Film and TV.
?Amrapali Ambegaokar is an International Master of Kathak (North Indian Classical Dance known for its rich acting training as well as its fast pure dance technique). Amrapali performed as a guest on season 5 of Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance and also won the coveted Solo Silver Medal in the International hit show NBC’s Superstars of Dance produced by Mastermind Producer and Director Nigel Lythgoe with a solo appearance on NBC’s Today Show.
Having won numerous awards and accolades since childhood, Amrapali was famously the Principal Dancer of Cirque Du Soleil’s Dralion in over 750 shows in14 US cities.
With performances on The Show with Jay Leno and several major television appearances, she has been the 25 year Principal dancer and Co-Artistic Director of Anjani’s Kathak Dance of India with highlights including The Hollywood Bowl, Ravinia Festival Chicago, World Music Institute NY, United Nations D.C., National Geographic Society and hundreds more since age 13 and is the disciple of Master and NEA Lifetime Achievement awardee Anjani Ambegaokar since age 3.
With a BA Honors from UCLA’s World Arts and Cultures/Dance department, Amrapali’s special honors also include The Music Center Spotlight Award, The NFIA National Award in Performing Arts, Celebrity Queen Azalea of the 62nd Azalea Festival as well as a judge for the Special Olympics Dance Competition, the U.S. National judge for Sony TV’s Boogie Woogie Dance competition, Celebrity judge for the Miss Asian America Pageant and more.
Amrapali is a pageant title holder as Miss Asian America Talent, Miss Asian California, Miss India North America Princess, Miss India North America Talent, and Miss India USA Talent.
Amrapali Ambegaokar was also invited to perform as a soloist for Dance Moves II held by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (The Emmys) Annual concert celebrating dance and choreography in film and TV. Amrapali also performed as a duet with Grammy award winning composer and Master Trumpeter Mark Isham in a Kathak/Jazz collaborative duet for the Celebrity Centre International’s 40th Anniversary Gala ending off in a finale’ with Legendaries Chakka Khan, Chick Corea, and Stanley Clarke.
?Amrapali’s film credits include a Lifetime film as well as films Gone Hollywood, Naach by Ram Gopal Varma, Extra Ordinary Barry and American Blend (as an actor, choreographer, dancer, and vocalist), Amrapali has definitely expanded herself as an artist as she continues to achieve her dreams.
Amrapali Ambegaokar choreography credits include live stage, pageants, film and television, music videos and commercials. Amrapali is recognized for her traditional work as well breaking boundaries by infusing Kathak with Flamenco, Hip Hop, Bollywood, Folk and modern styles. Amrapali feels blessed to be one of the leading artists today of Indo-American heritage flourishing in numerous artistic mediums internationally and continues to serve as a true torchbearer of the arts.
