Sreyashi Dey is one of the foremost exponents of Odissi in the US, and the Founder and Artistic Director of Srishti Dances of India and Akshara, an Ann Arbor based multi-arts organization. Sreyashi was previously also an exponent of Bharatanayam. As a thoughtful artist, Sreyashi constantly expands her creative horizons with new choreographies and collaborations across artistic genres.
She 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 leading media in India.
Sreyashi has been the recipient of several awards, notably the Harry Schwalb Excellence in the Arts award, and has been awarded grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and several premier foundations in the US. She was also the founder of SPARSH, an Ann Arbor non-profit that established and supported a pediatric heart surgery program at a community hospital in India for disadvantaged children.
Sreyashi’s educational background includes an MS in Economics, MBA, and MSW (Master’s in Clinical Social Work). She has had parallel careers in marketing, University of Michigan administration and non-profit. Currently Sreyashi works as a clinical psychotherapist, with a private practice and as an advocate for mental health and wellness.
Asha Subramanian: is an accomplished artiste, trained in the two Indian classical dance styles of Bharatanatyam and Mohinyattom. Asha has trained under eminent Gurus like Thankamani Kutty of Kalamandalam, Calcutta, Smt. Sreedevi Rajan, Kalamandalam Sumathy and Padmashri Guru Bharati Shivaji and performed extensively in and around Kerala. Asha is one of the few Mohini attam dancers, practising and propagating this beautiful style in its pristine form in South East Michigan , at the same time experimenting with new interpretations. Asha eagerly shares her knowledge and experience with her ever enthusiastic group, NamasyA, providing a haven for connection, creativity and personal growth.
NamasyA has made a strong impact in Detroit, Michigan and Toledo, Ohio with performances
like Bala Leela and Rukmini Swayamvaram from the great Sankrit text Narayaneeyam,the ballad of Poornathrayeesan and the bold innovative jugalbandi with Live Panchari Melam – the chenda percussion ensemble of Kerala.
She is also a founding member of Maitrii Detroit – a focus group of Indian classical dance enthusiasts.
NATYA DHARMI’ Performing Arts is an institution for Indian classical Arts, currently specializing in South Indian Classical Dance, Music and Culture. Established by ‘Singaramani,’ ‘Natya Visharada,’ ‘Kuchipudi Nrithya Moukthikam,’ Smt. Sandhya Sree Athmakuri, an award-winning performer, choreographer and teacher, and an exponent of two leading dance traditions of South India, Bharata Natyam and Kuchipudi.
For Sandhya Sree and the students embraced into ‘Natya Dharmi’
Dance defines:
Discipline and dedication,
Appreciation and love for the art,
Nurturing the desire to excel,
Creativity and commitment,
Ethics and values… the strong bricks on which ‘Natya Dharmi’ is founded on.
It is not just another dance school, but ‘a place of Art, by Art and For Art’…
Asa Willoughby has been training in Kathak for the past 17 years primarily under Anuradha Chaturvedi, herself a senior disciple of Pandit Arjun Mishra of the Lucknow Gharana. Later he also trained under Sujata Banerjee in London. He has also trained in Bharatanatyam for the past 16 years, primarily under Ananya Chatterjee and Smt. Thankamani Kutty and now under Marcia Madhavi Mai of Ann Arbor. Asa has performed extensively in England as well as in India, Luxembourg and the US.
Rasa Festival 