Sreyashi Dey is one of the foremost exponents of Odissi in the US, and the Founder and Artistic Director of two arts organizations – Srishti Dances of India and Akshara.
She is a disciple of Guru Gangadhar Pradhan, who was also an exponent of Bharatanayam and a disciple of Guru Saroja Vaidyanathan. As a thoughtful artist, she constantly expands her creative horizons with new choreographies and collaborations across artistic genres. Sreyashi regularly tours the US and has performed all over the world – in Europe, Asia and India.
Her work has been critically acclaimed by well-known critics in leading newspapers and magazines in the US, such as the New York Times, as well as in India. She has been the recipient of several awards, notably the Harry Schwalb Excellence in the Arts award, and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and several premier foundations in the US.
Sreyashi was instrumental in founding two arts festivals – the annual multi-arts Rasa Festival in Ann Arbor, and the annual KathaAngika classical dance and theater festival in Kolkata, India.
Kohal Das, son of Shri Chira Ranjan Das and Smt. Minakshi Das, the 32 year old is a scientist/biologist by profession. He completed his PhD form Indian Institute of Science (IISc.) and moved to the USA for his postdoctoral training. As an only child of dancer parents, he has always had an innate love for Indian Classical dances, which flourished as he grew up. He began his Odissi training from a popular dancer Rina Jana in Kolkata, which he had to discontinue when he got into the PhD programme of IISc.
Recently he revived his Odissi training under Smt. Madhulita Mohapatra at Nrityantar, Bengaluru. As a part of Nrityantar Kohal, Kohal has performed in many festivals, including Rasasvada 2016, Natarajotsava 2017, Articulate Festival 2017 – Organized by Shri. Mysore Nagaraj – , Kerala Kalamandalam Festival 2017, Nrityakalakshetra Festival 2017, IIDF, Hyderabad 2017, Naman 2017, Odissi Utsav, Bangalore 2017, and more.
Apart from Odissi Kohal, he has learned Bharathanatyam under Shri Parshwanth Upadhye and Smt. Shruti Upadhye after he moved to Bengaluru. As a part of Upadhye School of Dance, he has performed in prestigious events like Perur Natyanjali – at Pateeshwarar Temple – in 2016 and Sharadotsav, Bengaluru 2016. He also completed his Bharathanatya Rangapravesha in Feb 2017. Kohal believes in creativity and innovation, which is central to science and dance. Furthermore, he wants to pursue a scientific career which could accommodate his passion for dance while enabling him to contribute to and embrace his Indian Heritage.
Anjana Kushari started her basic classical training at an extremely tender age under the
watchful guidance and tutelage of Shri Sukhomoy Pakrashi, a noted disciple of
one of the greatest exponents of hindustani classical music, Sangeetachrya Pandit
Chinmoy Lahiri of Kolkata.
To further her training, she received rigorous taleem from Shree Amiya Ranjan
Bandhopadhay, a blessed musician of Vishnupur gharana and then for a period of
fifteen years, from Pandit Mohan Lal Mishra, a legendary figure of Benaras
gharana, under guru shisya parampara.
Presently, she is receiving advanced training under Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar of
Jaipur gharana, known for his exposition of ragas, bandishes accompanied by
complex taan, laykari and gayakii, who has taken her under his dignified guidance.
She has successfully blended the traditional genre of Indian classical music
imparted by her gurus with her own individuality. A vocalist endowed with rare
quality of more than three octave ranges, she paints her music with subtle and
intricate movements and rhythmic variation of motes with strong emotion in
vistara and great variety of taan and sargam.
Rasa Festival 