Martiya (Dance Community) was founded by Kavya Viswanathan in 2012 in India. Established during the early emergence of Bellydance in the Indian context, Martiya played a formative role in shaping the practice beyond entertainment, positioning it as an embodied art form connected to wellness, body awareness, and self inquiry.
Through training, choreography, and public performances, Martiya contributed to the development of bellydance in India as a culturally grounded and inclusive movement practice. Its work emphasized body positivity, community building, and personal agency, and remains part of the early lineage through which the form gained visibility and legitimacy in India.
Today, Martiya’s work continues in the United States through online offerings and in person programming in New York City, evolving alongside Kavya’s ongoing work in embodiment, movement, and therapeutic practice.
Kavya Viswanathan founded Martiya from a long relationship with movement, shaped by both artistic rigor and a deep listening to the body. Over time, her work has expanded through clinical training and embodied inquiry, refining how movement is held as a space for care, reflection, and connection. As her practice continues to evolve, these values remain central to how she teaches, creates, and builds community.