Eshani Lasya

🪔 About

Born in Portugal in 1980 as Eurica Luz, Eshani Lasya is a dancer, visual artist, performer, choreographer, and educator dedicated to spreading Indian classical dance in Portugal. She began her extensive studies in various art forms, including painting, architecture, music, and dance, starting with ballet before branching into Yoga, Meditation, and Indian Classical dance traditions such as Bharatanatyam and Odissi. Eshani Lasya met her first Bharatanatyam teacher, Tarikavalli, in Portugal in 2004 and has continued her studies since. In 2006, she co-created the first Odissi group in Portugal with Brazilian dancer Silvana Freire. Her background as a visual artist influences her approach, connecting Indian Dance with Architecture, Mathematics, and Physics, and utilizing new technologies to create unique artistic results. She is the Director of EKA [dance company] and a co-founder of EKA [unity], a Lisbon-based non-profit cultural organization established in 2011. EKA [unity] aims to support art and artists, encompassing branches like Music, Design, Video, a Wear Brand, and a cultural venue called Nada Temple. Through EKA, Eshani has set up a studio to teach and promote Indian classical dance in Portugal, incorporating both classical repertoire and new artistic languages to make the art forms more accessible to Western audiences. She conducts Bharatanatyam classes at Nada Temple in Lisbon. Eshani has also brought numerous Indian artists, including musicians and dancers, to Portugal to share these art forms with the local audience. In 2019, she performed 'Dasavatara Stotram' with her students at the Ratha Yatra Festival in Lisbon. She also illustrated Bhavana Pradyumna's book, 'Raga and Yoga'.