It’s nice to say goodbye to 2020, right? Although I relished the quiet time to write, read, learn and wonder about physics and our universe online (one of my top interests), walk…I just thought I’d re-introduce myself for anyone who is new to my site. I am a writer, classical Indian dancer, storyteller, and public speaker. I was born in St. Louis, MO and have literally grown up dancing, as my mom, Asha Prem, and my dad, the late Dr. Prem, began a classical Indian dance company called Dances of India, in 1976.
We are currently in our 43rd season! Along with dancing, I write and narrate productions for our company.
As I’ve grown up in two cultures and experienced three more (I lived in Yokohama and Paris for a year each and in England for nearly three years) I am fascinated with myth and stories from all over the world. In our dance productions I’ve always tried to give new contemporary spins to ancient Hindu myths or mix Western and Eastern tales in some way. For example, in 2006, I wrote Rhapsody for the Blue Gods—tales of Rama & Krishna to Gershwin’s classics. It sounds wild but it worked! In 2017 we presented Devi of the Ashes, or Cinderella in India. In 2018, we presented The Tale of Urmila, the Sleeping Princess, which is a new take on the role of a minor character in the Hindu epic The Ramayana.
I have also done my own writing for years: poetry, novels, short tales, etc. I was recently published in Belt Press’ The St. Louis Anthology (https://beltpublishing.com/products/st-louis-anthology) and in Panorama, the Journal of Intelligent Travel. (http://www.panoramajournal.org/seen-dr-premachandras-st-louis-pilgrimage/) A selection of my work is on this site. If you scroll down you’ll see me reading from my work, performing at the Saint Louis Art Museum, giving a talk on River CIties (St. Louis, Varanasi, and Paris) for the Missouri History Museum, and more!
You can see clips of our shows and other elements of my work on my YouTube channel. Just go to Nartana Premachandra! And if you’d like to learn more about me please click on About above.
