Guru Prerana Deshpande - Kathak:
Acknowledged by connoisseurs as a solo dancer of repute and a creative choreographer of rare calibre, Prerana Deshpande is among the leading complete solo Kathak dancers of her generation. Internationally acclaimed as a creative dancer whose work reveals the perpetually expanding horizons of the traditional form, Guru Prerana is regarded for her exquisite command over the fundamentals of Kathak - Rhythm, Grace, & Expression and for her creativity rooted in the tradition of this dance form. Greatly appreciated by all audiences for her expertise in Kathak, she is regularly invited to perform as a solo artist at all major venues and festivals in India and abroad.
Guru Prerana believes Kathak as means for artistic expression. Her choreography presentations of various classical as well as theme-based subjects are applauded by classes and masses alike. Her evolving body of work of choreography and collaborative productions, which includes music of varied genre, highlights her keen awareness about musical aesthetics.
" I believe that in any art form, reflection of the artist's individuality and personality in their art, makes them a complete artist. Deep knowledge of the art under the guidance of a Guru, intense training and true passion are the only ways to achieve it." says Prerana.
Recipient of numerous awards, Prerana has been felicitated by legendary Pt. Birju Maharaj with 'Gaurav Puruskar'. Prerana has also been honoured with the title of 'Nrityashri' and was conferred the title of 'Singar Mani' by the Sur Singar Samsad of Mumbai.
Guru Sadhana Paranji - Kuchipudi:
Guru Sadhana Paranji received her training in Indian classical dance under the revered Gurus, Padmashri Saroja Vaidyanathan, Dr. Uma Rama Rao & Dr. Nataraja Ramakrishna. She is a gold medalist in MA (Dance) from Telugu University, Hyderabad, INDIA. Sadhanaji has been awarded the titles of Shringaramani by Sur Shringar Samsad, Mumbai, Nritya Kala Praveene & Nritya Shiromani by Basava International, New York; Natya Kala Vipanchee by Vipanchee Fine Arts Inc., Chennai, and Nritya Kala Ratna by Vamsee Fine Arts, Hyderabad. She has also received proclamations from the US Congress, NY State Senate & the NY City Council. She was featured on two ABC-TV shows Eyewitness News and Good Morning America besides being written about in the New York Times & Backstage (a Broadway magazine).
Guru Sadhana has been actively promoting Bharatanatyam & Kuchipudi in New York City since 1992 through her dance school, Sadhanalaya. She also teaches Indian classical dance in the U.N. International School in Queens as part of her endeavor to reach out to diverse audiences. She conducts workshops & lecture-demonstrations at various educational institutions, museums and libraries such as the American Museum of Natural History, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Carnegie Hall, Queens Museum and the Brooklyn Museum. In collaboration with Smt. Janaki Patrik, Artistic Director of Kathak Ensemble, Guru Sadhana promotes Indian art form and culture at the NY City public schools. Her students also regularly perform throughout the tristate area for associations that promote arts and culture.
She has over a 1000 performances to her credit and has choreographed and performed in several of her productions including: Shiva Parvathi Kalyanam sponsored by Basava International, Dasavataram, Mahashakthi and Om Namaha Shivaya.She also presented a dance ballet, Sri Venkateshwara Sringara Lahari in 2011 as a fundraiser for the Hindu Temple Society in NY. This ballet was presented once again for the North American Telugu Society, Sri Ranganatha Temple in Pomona, NY and the Albany Telugu Association in Albany.Her most recent production was Navadurga which was staged in 2014 and was a grand success.