Priya Thomas
Priya Thomas is a Canadian artist and scholar whose multidisciplinary practice spans choreography, musical composition, theatre, and historical research. She has released music under her own name and under the moniker Iroquois Falls.
Early life and education
Raised in Montreal, Thomas began studying violin at a young age and started writing songs at eleven. She completed a DEC in Fine Arts before earning a B.A. in Religious Studies from McGill University, where she also pursued Sanskrit. She later obtained an M.A. and Ph.D. from York University.Musical career
Thomas was born in Hamilton, Ontario, and raised in Montreal. Her first instrument was the violin and started writing music at the age of 11.Thomas trained as a dancer under Priyamvada Sankar in Montreal. Thomas performed her arangetram in 1983 and continued to study Bharata Natyam with Sankar until 1995, performing regularly in Canada, the US and India. Thomas also studied Carnatic vocal music with Priyamvada Sankar, and studied Sanskrit at McGill University. Thomas has choreographed and performed in contemporary dance pieces, most notably collaborating with Hari Krishnan and Devraj Patnaik, co-founder of Chitralekha Odissi Dance Creations. She has also worked as a choreographer for theatre, dramaturg and theatre director.
Thomas earned a B.A in Religious Studies from McGill University, and an M.A from York University, and a PhD from York University. Between 2018 and 2021, she served as a tenure-stream professor in the department of dance at Texas Woman's University. She currently teaches in the Department of Dramatic Arts, Brock University.
Thomas released her first solo record In the Throes of the Microscope in 1996. Following its release, Thomas relocated to Toronto where she wrote the experimental Armageddon Weather Channel, which was recorded with contributions from Ian Ilavsky. It was well received by critics, but lacked distribution and radioplay.
Songs for Car Commercials was released in 2002. You and Me Against the World Baby, released in 2006. In 2008, Priya Thomas is Blood Heron was released by Sunny Lane Records to critical acclaim in the U.S. and Canada.
Following the loss of her close friend John Michael Auden McVey to suicide in March 2009, Thomas returned to a range of performance and choreographic practices.
In 2012, Thomas formed an experimental project called Iroquois Falls. An EP entitled Twice-Born-Once-From-A-Gun was released by Toronto label Hi-Scores on March 21, 2012.