Preya Patel – The Kathak ‘Diva’ from NYC

If you have a passion for story telling and have the natural charm of saying it with alluring grace and delicate expression, you are born to be an extraordinary classical dancer. Preya Patel, a renowned Kathak artist from New York City exudes an aura of elegance, the passion and love for dance is clearly visible in her stage performances. She is a member artist of Shraddhanjali – Indian Arts Academy NY, and was trained by her Guru Smt.  Jamuna Mitcham. In a brief chat with Sulekha, she touched upon various dance related topics of interest.

Q: Kathak dancers owe their lineage to any of the four acclaimed gharaanas of Jaipur, Luknow, Banaras or Raigarh which gharana do you owe your allegiance to?

A: I have learned Benaras and some Lucknow.

Q: Who was your inspiration to be a dancer?

Initially, my inspiration came from film stars such as Vyjanti Mala, Hema Malini, Sridevi, Madhuri, etc... and then the more I got involved and exposed myself to classical dance, the greats such as Gopi Kishanji, Sitara Devi and others opened my eyes to the greatness of Kathak.... but when I look back now, my biggest inspiration was and is my Guru Smt. Jamuna Mitcham.  Her creativity and dedication are something that I really look up to and inspire upon.  I would give just about anything to gain even 10% of her art, wisdom and knowledge.

Q:  How was it learning Kathak under your Guru Smt. Jamuna Mitcham?

It has been an amazing journey so far... we have been through so much together.  Jamuna Auntie is someone that I do not have enough words for.  She has been really nice and generous and she has been strict when needed.  I have learned so much, but every time she creates a new step of piece, I realize that I have so much more to learn that I would need another few lifetimes to achieve.  I have learned not only dance from her, but I have also learned so much about life through her teaching and her life experiences she has shared with me.

Q: What is it about Kathak that made you specialize in this dance form, rather than choose other Indian classical dances including Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Kuchipadi, Manipuri, Mohiniyattam, Odissi, or Sattriya?

I absolutely love the beauty of the footwork, the sound of the ghungroos and tabla, the spins, the flowing costumes and fast, intricate and vibrant, yet delicate style of movements.

Q: Which dance form fascinates you the most, is it classical Kathak or famed Bollywood dancing?

A: Definitely Kathak

Q: Your first work of choreography was at the tender age of 14, and your group stood second in the National Folk Dance competition. What was the theme that you choose to choreograph then?

A: At that time there were 3 categories - Gujarati Folk, Dandiya or Garba and I had chosen Garba, simply because it was my favorite at the time.

Q: Was there any pressure from parents to stay focused on academics rather than pursue your passion for classical dancing?

A: A LOT... In fact the Gujarati folk dancing that I had started as a young child was my mother’s idea - a way to involve me in the Indian Community, as where i grew up (Ohio), there were not too many Indians at the time.  That was mostly done during the summer holidays, so after a couple of years when I wanted to join classical dance, they were not very happy with the idea because they thought it would interfere with my studies... so I didn’t really get to do the classical dancing until I went away to college and decided to take it up.

Q: You have organized a classical dance drama titled GANESHA 2012, which is to be held on the 9^th of September 2012 in New York, could you tell us the something about it?

A: Actually the Ganesha 2012 show is not my personal show, this show is my Guruji’s show, however I play a main character in the first half, which is a classical dance drama based on the birth of Lord Ganesha. The second part of the program is a diverse array of dances, including classical, traditional folk and modern, none of which are limited to Indian dance.  Primary based on the concept of duets and duels, or 'Jugalbandhi', the items are all unique representations of how opposites can be very similar and woven together. Additionally various regional folk styles will also be showcased in the program.  My students will be performing an item in the second half of the show.

Q: One of your visions is to entice Westerners to learn more about the East, how close have you been towards that endeavor?

A: I have taught some Westerners Kathak and Bollywood, I think given the opportunity, we should invite Non-Indians to take part in the shows in which we participate. It will expose them more and more...to our dance forms. Apart from the Non-Indians this can also benefit the generation of children who have been educated and brought up here, but have very limited knowledge about our culture.

Q: Finally, aside from dancing and teaching computer graphics, what are the other things Preya Patel is passionate about?

A: I am actually a Graphic and Fine Artist by trade and I run my own business of design and printing, KalArt Studios.  Dancing and Painting are the two things I love most and choose not to clutter myself with too many other passions so I can focus on these.