15th American Natya Festival April 27-29 at Clayton High School Auditorium

ST. LOUIS - March 25, 2024 - PRLog -- Soorya Performing Arts, a local non-profit organization dedicated to Indian classical dance, music, and theatre, proudly presents the 15th American Natya Festival April 27, 28^th and 29^th at the Clayton High School Auditorium (#1 Mark Twain Circle, Clayton, MO 63105). This three-day festival presents professional performing artists from across the United States and India, featuring beautiful Indian classical dance forms such as Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Andhra Natyam along with dance dramas. In addition to the dance presentations, the Festival includes a Conference and the Grand Finals of the American Natya Idol.

Professional dancers to be featured include:

• St. Louis' famous dance team – Soorya Dance Company
• Chicago's Natya Dance Theater
• Also from Chicago, Acharya Performing Arts
• Shanbhavi's International School of Kathak from California

Soorya Performing Arts is honored to have two dance specialists from India participating – Ms. Pratibha Prahlad (Director, Prasiddha Foundation, New Delhi, India) and Dr. Padmini Seshadri (Director, Nritya Gaana Academy of Performing Arts, Bengaluru, India). Both are well-known danseuses from India. Ms. Pratibha Prahlad is a Padmashri awardee, a national award given by the President of India. Dr. Padmini Seshadri has done extensive research into ancient dance traditions from south India. Both Pratibha and Padmini will be giving scholarly demonstrations at the Festival.

The 15th American Natya Festival will also host the NATYA Kala Conference (https://www.natya.org/2024-american-natya-kala-conference/) - an educational dance-related conference focusing on a variety of issues surrounding Indian classical dance including topics such as Young Dancer's Challenges in the USA, Movement and Mime in Indian and American Art forms, and Storytelling.

The Festival has been made possible by the support from grants from the Missouri Arts Council, the Regional Arts Council, and many other generous sponsors. It is an event that should not be missed by anyone interested in experiencing the rich cultural heritage of India expressed through dance.

More details of the 15^th American Natya Festival are available at https://www.natya.org/.

Soorya Performing Arts - a local non-profit organization – mission is to enrich the cultural diversity and artistic excellence in the state of Missouri and across the Greater United States of America by preserving, propagating  Indian Performing arts through teaching, training and performances