Preya Mangalat-Patel

🪔 About

Preya Mangalat Patel is an Indian classical dancer and teacher, primarily known for her work in Bharatanatyam. She began her dance journey at the age of four with contemporary dance and was introduced to Bharatanatyam at age seven by her guru, Kalashri Asha Gopal, the founder and director of Arathi School of Dance in Arizona. Asha Gopal is a disciple of esteemed gurus Muthiah Pillai, Kittappa Pillai, and Professor U S Krishna Rao. Patel's extensive training also includes ballet, tap, jazz, Mohiniattam, Kathak, Odissi, and Kuchipudi. She further honed her skills by spending summers in India, learning from various gurus such as Srimati Padmini Ravi, Janardanan Sir, Kalamandalam Radha, Dr. Veena Murthy Vijay, and Ajit Bhaskaran Das. Throughout her career, Patel has received numerous national and international awards for her grace and fluidity in dance. She served as a senior dancer and teacher at the Arathi School of Dance in Phoenix and has performed with the Arizona Opera Company in "Lakme." Her performance collaborations include dancing alongside artists like Ajit Bhaskaran Das, Radha Carmen, Satyanarayan Raju, Emily Mayne, and musician Oliver Rajamani. Academically, Patel holds a Bachelor of Science with a minor in dance and completed a graduate program in Cytology. While working as a cytologist in Los Angeles, she was a lead company dance member with Blue13 Dance Company and featured in two movie productions. She also served as the dance chair for the Artwallah festival and conducted Bharatanatyam workshops for East West Players. In October 2013, Preya Mangalat Patel founded the Devi School of Dance in Austin, Texas, where she serves as the artistic director and choreographer, teaching Bharatanatyam to youth and adult students. She is also an active member of Stage Sanchaar, a classical Indian dance company. Her work often involves non-profit initiatives, focusing on children's education, supporting victims of domestic violence, and community building. She has been a core team member for Be The Change Austin and collaborated with Hindu Charities for America. A notable project involved bringing 16 children from Gujarat to the United States and UK for a world tour of dance and music called EKATVA, in partnership with Manav Sadhna. Patel has also choreographed for several productions at the Scottish Rite Theater, including "Little Red Chunari," "Midsummer Night's Dream: From The Furthest Steep of India," "The Town Musicians of Mumbai," "Jungal Ki Kahani," and "Treasure Island in the Bay of Bengal."