Ms Shanta SERBJEET SINGH
Chairperson
The Asia Pacific Performing Arts Network, APPAN (INTERNATIONAL), India

Ms Shanta Serbjeet Singh is one of the most senior critics/columnists of the arts in India. In 2001, she was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Sangeet Natak Akademi. As the dance critic for The Hindustan Times since l972, a contributor to most of the major newspapers and publications of India and the arts columnist for The Economic Times for 25 years (1970 to 1995), she has made a seminal contribution to the shaping of cultural policy and growth of the arts in the country. She is also a filmmaker, making documentaries like The Devadasi Parampara and Culture of Ladakh, and a music composer of several films and television serials (Himalaya Darshan, Himalaya Watch, Kashmir).

As international Chair for APPAN, (The Asia-Pacific Performing Arts Network), a platform for bringing together performing artistes of the entire region set up under the aegis of UNESCO in 2000, she has organized major Conferences-Arts encounters.

A well-known author of several books, such as THE FIFTIETH MILESTONE; A FEMININE CRITIQUE, (Published by Sterling Publishers), NANAK, THE GURU and AMERICA & YOU, her latest book INDIAN DANCE: THE ULTIMATE METAPHOR was released by the Prime Minister in early 2000.

She holds an MA in International Relations from the University of Berkeley, California and earlier did her B.A. in English (Hons) from Calcutta University and another A.B. in Political Science from the University of Ohio.