Vandita Parikh is the founder and director of Nruthyashakti folk Academy. Her dance journey started in Chennai at age four, and she has been teaching and performing Indian folk dances in Dallas for the past 15 years. In 2011, the President of India, Smt. Pratibha Patil, named her the Ambassador of Cultural Performances. She was a featured performer on Good Morning America and was invited to perform at the University of Stanford in November 2015 for their Contemplation Week. NSDA has taken part in more than 600 shows since its inception in 2001.