Sreyashi Dey

Sreyashi Dey is an exponent of the Odissi style of Indian classical dance and a disciple of Guru Gangadhar Pradhan, Founder-Director of the Orissa Dance Academy in Bhubaneswar. She was initiated into Odissi by renowned Guru Mayadhar Raut in New Delhi, India. In addition, Sreyashi also trained extensively in Bharata Natyam under Gurus Saroja Vaidyanathan in the Pandanallur style and Lalita Shastri in the Kalakshetra style. Her extensive training has spanned over two decades and has provided the foundation for her distinguished performing career. She has performed in several prestigious dance festivals and events all over India organized by premier institutions such as Sahitya Kala Parishad, Sangeet Natak Akademi, India International Center, India Habitat Center and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. She has also appeared on Indian TV several times.

Sreyashi moved to the US to pursue graduate studies in Economics. After earning her Master's degree in Economics, she also earned an MBA. She has had a successful business career in market research consulting.

Sreyashi has lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania since 1995 and is the Founder, President and Artistic Director of Srishti Dance of India, a dance company specializing in the performance and preservation of the Odissi style of Indian classical dance. Her successful business career has helped her to establish Srishti as a professionally run organization with sound management practices.

Through Srishti and as a soloist, Sreyashi is constantly expanding her creative horizons with new choreographies and collaborations with artists across genres. While remaining rooted in the classical dance techniques, Sreyashi continuously creates innovative new works that push the boundaries of performing arts. Some of her cross-cultural collaborations have included:

Our World, One People, Many Faces with the Mary Miller Dance Company and UMOJA African Arts Ensemble

Ramayana: A Dance Drama in Two Traditions of India and Indonesia collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh Indonesian Gamelan Ensemble

Ancient Rhythms A Tapestry of Indian Classical Dance Yoga and Storytelling collaboration with Alison Babusci

And What is My Life to You? collaboration with poet Andrea Read and Ugandan dancer and drummer Sylvia Tamusuza

She has choreographed for the theatre (such as Girish Karnad's Hayavadana), and has presented workshops, master classes, multi-media presentations and lecture-demonstrations on Indian classical dance.

As the Artistic Director of Srishti, Sreyashi has directed, choreographed and performed as the lead dancer in several critically acclaimed and highly successful major dance drama productions in Pittsburgh, such as Ramayana and Rabindranath Tagore's Chitrangada. In addition, she tours in several cities in the US every year for solo Odissi performances as well as with Srishti productions with well-known artists from India and the US. Srishti has received several major grants and awards under Sreyashi's leadership. In 2002, she choreographed and performed Karna and Kunti a new work using Odissi and Kathakali styles of dance. This was premiered at the INTERFACE festival in Calcutta,India and subsequently performed in the US to enthusiastic responses. She recently choreographed and performed a contemporary piece titled Yaatra: Journey.

Sreyashi has continued to grow as an artist by keeping up her training in Indian classical dance through frequent visits toIndia. She works with master teachers to further hone her skills, learn new choreography and refresh her creative instincts.

Through numerous performances, as well as thorough lecture demonstrations, workshops and collaborations with other artists, Sreyashi has created widespread awareness of Indian performing arts traditions. She receives much accolade from her audiences and critics alike. She is an Adjunct Faculty at the Music Department at the Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh where she teaches Indian classical dance from a Cultural Perspective.

Sreyashi uses her art for social causes such as raising funds for natural disasters and education/development projects inIndia and other causes. She works tirelessly toward the preservation of this ancient art form by training a new generation of Indian-American dancers at her school. Sreyashi has continued to grow as an artist and has dedicated herself to the propagation and promotion of Indian performing arts in the US.

To learn more about Sreyashi Dey and Srishti Dance of India visit her website

Sreyashi Dey can be reached at srishtidances@yahoo.com