Aparna Shankar trained in the Vazhuvoor style of bharatanatyam under guru Smt. Ramya Ramnarayan in New Jersey for 11 years. During that time, she participated in many of her gurus' productions as a member of the Nrithyanjali Dance Ensemble including Heritage Heroines which highlighted the role of women in Hindu mythology, Samyukta which celebrated the confluence of odissi and bharatanatyam, and Shyama:The Legend of Krishna which was presented at the New York International Fringe Festival. Through the Young Audiences New Jersey initiative, Aparna along with her guru, was able to introduce and share bharatanatyam with elementary school students.
 
As an undergraduate student, Aparna danced in and contributed choreography to multiple award-winning pieces as dancer and captain of Rutgers University Natya. Since joining Navatman Dance Company in 2017, Aparna has performed along with the company at two Drive East festivals and played the role of Lakshmana in Navatman's Ramayana production and the role of Karna in Navatman's Mahabharata Part 1: Of Vengeance and Promises production. As a freelancer, Aparna performed as an ensemble member in The Affair, Sri Thina's production based off the Gita Govindam.
 
Currently, Aparna is a faculty member at the Navatman school and teaches bharatanatyam level 1 and 2 adult classes. She is undergoing advanced training for bharatanatyam and beginner level training in kathak under Sahasra Sambamoorthi. Aparna finds immense joy in dance and deeply enjoys sharing and cultivating this joy in others.