Prasanna K R S

🪔 About

Prasanna Kasthuri is a distinguished performer and teacher of Indian classical dance, specializing in Bharatanatyam and Kathak. Born to renowned Kannada literary figures Mr. Raghusutha and Mrs. K.R. Padmaje, Prasanna began his dance training in 1975 under Guru Mukund Kaanekar [3, 4]. He further honed his skills in Bharatanatyam under Smt. Lalitha Srinivasan and Smt. Narmada, and in Kathak under Smt. Maya Rao [4]. He also attended workshops with notable personalities like Birju Maharaj, Mahalingam Pillai, Adyar Lakshmanan, and Chitra Visweswaran [4]. In 1985, Prasanna Kasthuri established the Shantala Arts Academy in Bengaluru, India, where he trained numerous students [2, 3, 4]. A significant milestone in his career was his 24-hour non-stop Bharatanatyam marathon performance in 1986, a record that remains a notable achievement [2, 7, 12]. He created several unique productions in India, including “Kaavya Kinkini” (1988), “Subhadra Parinaya” (1991), and “Shringara Nayakaru” (1994) [2, 3, 7]. He also promoted Indian classical dances in rural India through "Shanthala Nrityotsava" [2]. Prasanna moved to the USA in 1994 for higher studies and artistic exploration, working as a volunteer dance guru at Arathi School of Indian Dances in San Antonio, TX, from 1994-1996 [2, 3]. In 2002, he founded Soorya Performing Arts in St. Louis, Missouri, to promote Indian classical dance, music, and theater in the Midwest [2, 3, 4]. Through Soorya Performing Arts, he has spearheaded projects supported by the Regional Arts Council of St. Louis and the Missouri Arts Council, creating innovative productions such as “Gokula Nirgamana,” the first Indian Opera performed outside India [2, 3, 4]. He also collaborated with Grammy Awardee Pandit Vishwamohan Bhat for “Rainbow-II,” a dance production based on English and American poems [2, 3, 4]. Prasanna is also an accomplished Carnatic vocalist and mrudangist, and has organized the St. Louis Indian Dance Festival (later renamed American Natya Festival) and the American Natya Idol competitions [2, 4, 5, 12]. He has taught Indian classical dances at institutions like Webster University and Stephens College [3, 4]. Awards & Honours: Missouri Traditional Arts Fellowship, Karnataka Kalashri, Kala Yogi (2015).