Following in the Footsteps

By STL Made

Run by the Premachandra family, Dances of India, one of the oldest classical Indian dance companies in the U.S., combines movement and storytelling to wow St. Louis audiences.

Nearly all her life, as far back as she can remember, Nartana Premachandra has been dancing — learning and sharing the tradition of classical Indian dance that has been passed down from her parents and their ancestors — an art form that dates back some 2,000 years. 

“It was created at a time when most of the knowledge of the legends and histories of India were passed on orally, mostly by men,” Nartana says. “The gestures, the body, the eyes, the eyebrows — more than anything, it’s a vehicle for storytelling. It was created to involve everyone, with the idea being that maybe you cannot read a myth, but if you see it in front of you, you see it come alive.”

When she began dancing under the tutelage of her mother, Asha Prem, at age 5, Nartana never dreamed she would someday lead Dances of India, the dance company her parents started together nearly 50 years ago and one of the oldest classical Indian dance companies in the U.S. She took over as President in 2014 after the unexpected passing of her father, Dr. B.N. Premachandra. Keep reading here.