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Director "Parvati" Melissa Sproul-Singh


Melissa Ruth Sproul  was given the name “Parvati” by her Guru, the late Shri Surendra Nath Jena, when she discovered Odissi Dance through his classes at Naropa Institute In Boulder, Colorado, during the summers of 1975 and ‘76. She studied Modern Dance, Hatha Yoga, Hinduism, and Buddhism tParvati Dancing Mangalacharanthroughout her years at Paideia High School, in Atlanta, Georgia, and at Naropa Institute, where she began her college education. She met Guru Jena at Naropa and felt  an immediate  sense of identity with his style of Indian Classical Dance. She  went  to India to study the classical music  and to become better acquainted with the rich cultural heritage of this land which so greatly fascinated her. She joined daily private classes under Guru S.N.Jena at Triveni Kala Sangam in December 1976. The Indian Council for Cultural Relations awarded her a four year scholarship which was extended in 1994 and '96 for her advanced study in 6-month courses.

Parvati Melissa spent over two months Parvati "Kiss" posein Orissa and was deeply inspired by the magnificent temples. She  performed in Delhi, Orissa, Lucknow and Calcutta and went on to take “teachers training” under Guru Jena which included lessons In pakhawaj drumming, harmonium, singing, and dance theory.

Parvati Melissa Sproul-Singh decided to carry on Guru Jena's style in America. In 1985 she founded the Ganesh Academy of Indian Arts to promote the teaching of these arts which had so enriched her own life, with the goal of providing classes, concerts and workshops with Gurus from India. Pt. Charanjit Chaturlal and his family visited the USA for 4-5 weeks each time, in September 2000, Feburary 2002, September 2003 and April 2004. He taught tabla classes, his son Pranshu performed solo tabla. His wife Meeta taught Indian cooking with the help of their daughter Shruti.

Photo Left by: Northern India Patrika 1980                                     

 

 

Photo by: Avinash Pasricha

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