Joyce Paul Poursabahian

🪔 About

Born in New Delhi, India, Joyce Kakariyil Paul, also known as Joyce Paul Poursabahian and Joyce Paul Siamak, is a distinguished Bharatanatyam dancer, exercise physiologist, and anthropologist. She received extensive classical Bharatanatyam training, initially under Padmashri Leela Samson from 1986 to 1994. Her rigorous training continued with Prof. A. Janardhanan and Guru M.R. Krishnamurthy of Kalakshetra in 1994, and further under Prof. C.V. Chandrashekhar and his daughters Chitra and Manjari from 1994 to 2000. She also trained in Mohiniyattam, the classical dance of Kerala. Academically, Dr. Poursabahian holds a Doctorate in Exercise Physiology, with a special emphasis on dance-related injuries, and her thesis marked the first scientific study of Bharatanatyam dancers in India. She began her teaching career with private Bharatanatyam classes as early as 1990, with the blessings of her guru Leela Samson, and also assisted teaching at Kalashram Trust in New Delhi. After relocating to Redmond, Washington, in 2001 to join Microsoft, she established a significant presence in the US Indian classical dance scene. In 2003, she founded Arpan Performing Arts, an organization dedicated to promoting Indian folk and classical traditions in Washington State. Demonstrating her commitment to social causes through art, she also founded the Socially Conscious Artists Foundation (SCARF) in 2019. Dr. Poursabahian is a respected educator, serving as a guest lecturer at the University of Washington and as adjunct faculty at Cornish College of the Arts and Spectrum Dance Theatre. Her choreographic works include notable productions such as "Laya Samvaad" (2009) and "BuddhiBhrama" (2020). She holds the distinction of being the first Indian-American Bharatanatyam dancer to be featured at Seattle's Town Hall, an achievement commemorated with a permanent signed poster. She curates the "Incredible Dances of India" showcase for Seattle's Northwest Folklife Festival since 2015 and has been featured in the MOHAI Seattle exhibit "Beyond Bollywood - Indian Americans who have shaped the nation."