“I would like to personally thank you for the amazing master class and Hinduism Seminar that you presented at Grand Center Arts Academy. Everything was presented in a way that the students were able to connect to on a personal level. The Classical Indian Master Class gave the students a breath of fresh air, providing a very different style and purpose of dance than they have been exposed to. The students used what they learned from the Hinduism seminar to create a story and choreographed a short dance around it! They were so excited about using what they learned and combining it with their personal styles to create a dance around it. They could not stop talking about what the different moves meant, as well as the powerful female figures that they learned about through the seminar. When they first presented the peace in our STEAM museum it was extremely well received.”
“I would like to express my sincere appreciation for your speech and Indian dance demonstration at Pfizer St. Louis in May of 2018. Your speech about the persistent leadership of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King in the non-violence movement was very inspiring and resonated with many folks here. We need more speakers like you, especially in the greater St. Louis area, who can be a strong advocate for our Asian heritage and at the same time is able to make much needed connection between our culture and the great way of American life. …The combination of your excellent speech and elegant dance performance made this event a great success. You have undeniably showed us that you are such a valuable asset for our community and certainly an inspirational leader in many ways.”
A reading I gave at Southwest Illinois College in 2015. The poet Treasure Shields Redmond is on my left.
“I had the pleasure of having had passed on to me Nartana Premachandra’s remarkable first novel The Moment, Before Sleep. Ms. Premachandra is a marvelously talented writer-and for me perhaps above all, a gorgeous lyricist. Her prose evokes her many characters’ worlds with grace and style, not to mention originality…nothing can take away from the beautiful prose Ms. Premachandra is capable of, or her desire to take on the (sometimes painful) themes she does here, often stunningly.”
“I must tell you that your language is truly beautiful, surprising, exceptionally poetic…I remember being stunned by the style. I’ve never seen anyone do language like you do! This is not a sit-in-the-drawer novel. I think you have worked a wonder.”
“Nartana Premachandra has worked as an independent contractor at the Saint Louis Art Museum for over a decade, entertaining and educating audiences through dance, storytelling, and public lectures. In her service to the Museum, Nartana has demonstrated a truly impressive depth of art historical knowledge and an admirable dedication to the Museum’s mission. She is highly regarded by Museum visitors and staff and her programs at SLAM always garner positive feedback.”
“Nartana Premachandra spoke at the East St. Louis Writers’ Workshop series on Thursday, October 22nd. She mainly read her poetry, but she gave us a taste of her novels as well. In her poetry, whether she is writing about the death of a loved one or the changing seasons, she has a keen ability/sensitivity to connect life happenings to the natural process...There is a deep regard for humanity and the nature that surrounds us in all she write. She is a refreshing voice to hear. ”