Sangeet Natak Akademi has three constituent units, two of these being dance-teaching institutions: the Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy (JNMDA) at Imphal, and Kathak Kendra in Delhi. JNMDA has its origin in the Manipur Dance College established by the Government of India in April 1954. Funded by the Akademi since its inception, it became a constituent unit of the Akademi in 1957. Similarly Kathak Kendra is one of the leading teaching institutions in Kathak dance. Located in Delhi, it offers courses at various levels in Kathak dance and in vocal music and Pakhawaj.
National Projects of Support to Kutiyattam, the age-old Sanskrit theatre of Kerala, Chhau dance of eastern India, and Sattriya traditions of Assam have been launched subsequently. The Akademi has also set up a North-East Centre for the purpose of preserving the traditional and folk performing art traditions of north-eastern India. In addition to that, a North-east Documentation Centre has been set up in Agartala for festival and field documentation in the North-east.