Sreyashi Dey

🪔 About

Sreyashi Dey is a prominent exponent of the Odissi style of Indian classical dance, recognized for her grace, beauty, and expressive power. She was initiated into Odissi by Guru Mayadhar Raut in New Delhi, India, and further trained extensively under Guru Gangadhar Pradhan, the Founder-Director of the Orissa Dance Academy in Bhubaneswar. Additionally, Dey received comprehensive training in Bharatanatyam under Gurus Saroja Vaidyanathan (Pandanallur style) and Lalita Shastri (Kalakshetra style), completing her arangetram in Bharatanatyam in 1981. After moving to the United States in 1995, Sreyashi Dey established herself as a significant cultural figure. She is the Founder, President, and Artistic Director of Srishti Dance of India, a dance company dedicated to the performance and preservation of the Odissi style. She also co-founded Akshara, an Ann Arbor-based multi-arts organization. Dey holds a Master's degree in Economics and an MBA, having pursued a successful business career in market research consulting in parallel with her artistic endeavors. She is an Adjunct Faculty at the Music Department at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where she teaches Indian classical dance from a cultural perspective. Her choreographic works include "Karna and Kunti" (2002), which blended Odissi and Kathakali, and "Yaatra: Journey," a contemporary piece. Dey is committed to expanding the creative horizons of Indian classical dance through innovative choreographies and cross-genre collaborations, while also using her art for social causes. Awards & Honours: Harry Schwalb Excellence in the Arts, Grants from National Endowment for the Arts, Grants from The Heinz Endowments, Grants from The Pittsburgh Foundation, Grants from Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Grants from The Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation.