About

Priya Narayana is a performing arts professional in the Indian classical arts. As founder and director of Laya Arts Collective, Priya is responsible for planning, developing and overseeing educational and artistic programs, outreach, and fundraising. A dancer and dance educator herself, Priya is devoted to the art and furthering the reach of artists. She utilizes her dance education and experience being an advocate for Indian classical artists into serving the artist community. Since 2006, Priya has taught numerous students and adults in Dance Academy settings, as well in Community Outreach programs such as in After School Programs of the Chicago Public Schools, bringing Indian culture in the form of dance and music to children of all backgrounds. Priya has been awarded the Naatya Vedha and Naatya Sharaadi awards by Nataraj Music and Dance and the Nrithya Shiromani by Cuttack International Dance Festival. Priya's work is based on Classical Indian dance brought to a Contemporary stage.

She is recognized for her graceful movements and strong expressional performances. Audiences have been transformed from modern-day stages to the temples and royal courts of India. Her training as a classical dancer allows for a fluid transition from storytelling in Hindu Mythology to storytelling in today's societal issues. Her work is a vehicle of storytelling and movement to bring about change within the South Asian Diaspora. Her focus is on modernizing the divine art form with content focused on the empowerment of women in the United States as well as across the world. Working as an Indian classical dancer, she inspires people of all backgrounds. She is especially concerned with impacting the community that worships the "divine mother," yet forces young girls and women to fear their lives. Priya's work is focused on creating change in that mindset.

A dancer and dance educator herself, Priya has devoted herself to the art and economy of Indian classical arts. Priya is a voice for Indian classical dancers and musicians as she takes her dance education and experience being an advocate for Indian classical artists into serving the art. As an arts advocate, Priya strives to connect artists with American audiences integrate Indian art to the fabric of American culture. 

She has worked in various industries. As an American born woman raised by Indian Immigrants, Priya integrates programming to all stages. Representatives of the Indian arts are few and far between. Priya joins the few to be a representative for artists who trained in the Classical arts of Indian based in the United States and abroad. 

Artist

Choreographer

Scholar

Educator

Producer

Seeker

Advocate

Education and Training

Priya began her training under Smt. Rama Bharadwaj of Anghara Dance Academy. She completed her arangetram in 1998 under Guru Madhushree Sethuramam of Srutilaya Dance Academy. She is under the tutelage of Guru Dr. Suparna Venkatesh of Bangalore, India, and in Kathak, under Guru Dilshad Khan of Chicago, IL.

Priya has a Masters of Interdisciplinary Arts from Columbia College Chicago and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Performing Arts from REVA University Bangalore.