Kalapriya Dance was founded in 1994 by critically acclaimed dancer and teacher Pranita Jain, Kalapriya seeks to promote Asian Indian dance and culture through dance performances, workshops and training programs. Kalapriya specializes in Bharatanatyam; an ancient dance form that uses stylized hand gestures, theatrical facial expressions, intricate footwork and complicated rhythms and counter rhythms to visualize poetry, mythology and universal themes. The purpose of these activities remains two fold: to provide a venue for Asian Indian immigrants and their families to practice and maintain their cultural identity and secondly to promote a better understanding of Asian Indian art and culture amongst the general population. In recent years Kalapriya has developed and produced several cross-cultural events incorporating various forms of music and dance including artists from Africa, Spain, Indonesia, China, Japan and Korea in contemporary and traditional formats showcasing the similarities between the cultures. Underscoring the belief that world cultures do not exist in a vacuum. They are constantly evolving, influenced by current issues and cross-cultural exchanges. To grow and remain relevant in today's transnational society is to stay open to these influences and evolve as a culture or art form.

Pranita Jain Artistic Director of Kalapriya is an Indian classical dancer, choreographer and founder of Kalapriya. A graduate of the Center for Indian classical dances in New Delhi, India she trained for nine years with one of India’s foremost Bharata Natyam dancers. She then continued her training with Januna Krishnan, a leading choreographer in India. Pranita continued her artistic growth, relocating to the United States in 1985 receiving a Masters degree in dance ethnography from the University of Illinois. She returns to India annually to perform and exchange ideas with other artists to keep enriching her knowledge of Indian dance and culture. She has performed nationally and internationally and has conducted numerous workshops throughout the United States. She is an eight-time recipient of the Master Teacher Award from the Illinois Arts Council. Recently Ms. Jain was engaged to teach and choreograph for MTV pop star Shakira for MTV video music award ceremony at Radio City Music Hall, New York.