Artistic and Executive Director of Vivarta Arts, Preya Patel is a North Indian Classical Kathak dancer based in New York City trained under the guidance of Guru Smt. Jamuna Mitcham. She is one of the rare teachers born in the US who has pursued Kathak dance form full-time as a profession. She continues to evolve in her art form by further studying under the world-renowned kathak Guru Smt. Vaishali Trivedi, a disciple of kathak legend Padma Vibhushan Smt. Kumudini Lakhia.

In 2006, Preya completed her Rang Manch Pravesh, or formal graduation performance with a live orchestra.  Since then, she has performed in a variety of venues in the US, Canada and India.  Among these are the United Nations, MTV3, Queensboro Dance Festival, Celebrity Centre NYC, Rockland County Music Conservatory, the Outlet Project and the NY Times Travel Show.

Although classical dance is the foundation of Preya's training, she enjoys teaching and performing Bollywood & Folk dance, as well as collaborating with artists of various genres. Preya combines her considerable knowledge of, passion and devotion to dance along with her energy and strong work ethic to deliver a unique teaching style. Whilst the principles of discipline and hard work make up the backbone of her classes, Preya recognizes the importance of creating a positive and fun working environment for students. She encourages them to find their own passion and explore dance in a nurturing environment.  Preya teaches classical dance in a modern setting; she understands the importance of incorporating the origins of classical dance into her teachings and strongly believes understanding India's rich dance heritage is crucial to understanding the dance form itself.

Apart from dance, Preya’s dedication lies in giving back. She is a dance curator for the Indo-American Arts Council and has worked with several charitable organizations. Preya generously gives her time to students participating in a variety of community outreach programs and also works with many of the NY public schools to enhance cultural awareness through dance.