Priya Bangal

Priya Bangal is a dancer of Odissi, a classical dance from the Eastern Indian state of Odisha. She has performed Odissi at various venues across Massachusetts such as the Boston Center for the Arts, Jose Mateo Ballet Theater, Provincetown Dance Festival, Somerville Theater, Arts at the Armory and the Dance Complex. Her recent work at NACHMO Boston 2022 was described by the Dance Informa magazine as having “an easeful quality” and “beautiful intricacy”. 

Priya grew up outside of Pune, a small city in Western India well known as a thriving hub of arts and culture. Far too restless to sit still as a little girl, she grew up studying classical Indian dance since childhood. Surrounded by a vibrant cultural environment of dance, music, literature and theater, Priya was nurtured with a belief that art is a reflection of life and vice-versa. A belief that led her to a lifelong pursuit of experiencing life through the art of dance. Priya took a long road to arrive at the study of Odissi dance, in which she has trained extensively. In 2018, Priya was awarded the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, to study Odissi under Master Artist Shipra Mehrotra based in Norfolk, MA. In January 2023, Priya received support from the Public Art Learning Fund at NEFA for an intensive study of Odissi Dance in Odisha, India. In addition to performance, Priya also conducts introductory Odissi classes, workshops and lecture-demonstrations to share her love for Odissi with a wide audience. 

With an aim to encourage a holistic cultural environment for Indian arts in Boston, Priya has co-founded Samvād and Rasik, two organizations that work to nurture our region's growing interest in Indian arts by building informed audiences and trellising relationships between artists of Indian art forms and the larger arts community.