Guru : PRAGNYA B Prakash

Pragnya, an Indian classical artist, choreographer, Cultural Ambassador for CultureAll organization and a Master's graduate who began her journey of dance at an young age. Her passion in dance made her learn the Indian classical dance forms such as “Bharatanatyam”, in which she secured the 1st rank for the State of Karnataka, India and "Kuchipudi", a well-known dance from Andrapradesh. She has a Vidhwath (proficiency) title in Bharathanatyam. She has been a disciple of many renowned Bharatanatyam gurus like Smt. Narmada and Kuchipudi dance exponent Smt. Vyjayanthi Kashi. She has secured many laurels and has been a part of many prestigious dance festivals and dance productions in many places in India, USA and abroad. She is a graded television artist. At present she is the Artistic Director of " Eshanjali school of dance ", Des Moines, Iowa.

Pragnya currently imparts training to numerous students and over the years she has proven to be not just an explicit performer, but also an excellent teacher of dance to whom students of all ages connect.

She is and has been an active member of various local community and non-profit organizations. Some of Pragnya’s solo, group and dance drama performances include,

• Mysore Dasara Festivals

• Doordarshan Chandana Production – Dance drama of Lord Ganesha

• Doordarshan Chandana Production – Solo Bharatanatyam

• New Delhi Dance Festivals

• Tirupati Brahmothsav,

• Iskon festival

• Ankura dance festival

• Shravanabelagola Mahamastakabhisheka festival

• Kerala Malabar Dance Festival

• Bangalore Dance festival

• Chennai World Trade Event and Dance festivals

• Lemont Maha Shivaratri Festival, Chicago

• Ramanavami Festival, Lemont, Chicago

• 25th SAPNA (Sri Annamacharya Project of North America) celebrations,

Naperville, Chicago

• Nrityothsava Dance festival – Omaha, Nebraska

• Maha Shivaratri Event – Maharishi Vedic City, Fairfield

• Performed a solo Bharatanatyam piece at the NAVIKA- 2018 event,

Mysore, India.

• NRI Dance Festival – 2018

• Iowa state festivals since 2007

• US Military Campus Events – Iowa National Guard for culture days

productions in many places in India, USA and Canada.

Has been an inspiration to many students and well-wishers.

- Has secured Distinction in dance certification by Indian Raga organization, USA.

- Worked as the Dance Director for the Dance drama productions such as “Meenakshi Kalyana”

2015.

- Worked as a Choreographer for the dance production - “Purandara” - 2017.

Eshanjali Dance Academy

Eshanjali Dance Academy, LLC is a dance school in DesMonies, Iowa which is directed by its artistic founder Pragnya Prakash and was established in 2007. The primary focus of Eshanjali is to offer training in Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi, two of the most prominent and well known classical dance forms of India. Eshanjali also offers dance training in folk dances from various states of India, and semi-classical dances, Bollywood dances for few occasions . Pragnya and her students regularly perform Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dances, semi-classical dances and folk dances at many community events, companies, universities, and other prestigious organizations.

Eshanjali offers a systematic education in building the foundation of the art by imparting teaching in basic dance steps, hand gestures, foot movements, eye movements, neck movements, rhythms, facial expressions, and the other rules and principles.
• Academy’s mission is to make Indian classical dance more accessible to both understand and
experience without removing the beauties of tradition and history that the style has developed from.
• Dedicated to the education and performance of classical Indian dances, social awareness, and the
celebration of cultural diversity.
• Eshanjali Dance Academy provides demonstrations, seminars, workshops and performances to bring in
the awareness of cultural integrity by presenting at various venues, schools, Senior
Citizen centers, etc. in Iowa, Chicago, Omaha and other places.
• Volunteers at various organizations and community places for various occasions in and around Iowa.
• Has been a regular invitee at the World Refugee Day and The African Celebrations Iowa to share
the Indian culture.
• Has been a part at the Indian Consulate cultural day, Chicago in presenting the classical dances of
India.
• Has won many laurels and has been a part of many prestigious dance festivals and dance
productions in many places in India and USA