Mission & Vision
Mission Statement
Thresh’s mission is to empower individual voices within the context of a global community. Through cross-disciplinary collaborations, Thresh creates theatrical productions and outreach programs dealing with issues of gender, immigration, and race, representing marginalized and underserved communities in the US and abroad.
Vision
Thresh envisions a world that brings together different cultural voices to celebrate diversity while appreciating individuality. Through the performing arts and storytelling, Thresh fosters a democratic way of working together, increasing confidence, tolerance, and curiosity within a pluralistic society.
About
Thresh is a New York-based, female-led performing-arts nonprofit producing work about storytelling in all its forms. From creating cross-cultural productions that deal with issues of identity, race, gender and inclusion, to outreach programs for marginalized and underserved communities in the US and abroad, we represent the underrepresented.
Founded in 2005 by award-winning Indian choreographer Preeti Vasudevan, Thresh creates a provocative dialogue between Indian and western performing arts and connects heritage cultures with contemporary lives.
Thresh is proud to be a project-based organization, collaborating with multi-disciplinary artists of different backgrounds and viewpoints. Working on various projects at once allows for the employment of individuals from many artistic disciplines—from composers to librettists, visual artists, and more.
Thresh has recognition and support from leading US institutions including Lincoln Center for Performing Arts, US Department of State, National Endowment for the Arts, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guggenheim Museum, and arts leaders like world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma and Jacques d'Amboise, the late legendary ballet dancer and founder of the National Dance Institute for children.
Team
Preeti Vasudevan: Founder & Artistic Director
Award-winning choreographer and cultural storyteller Preeti Vasudevan's provocative theatrical works redefine individual identity, uniting artists and audiences alike. Her creations have been lauded as a refreshing collision of eastern and western aesthetics pushing for a new expression in art-making. Using just about every mode of the performing arts (including dance, music, poetry, visual art, mime, and theater), Preeti invites cutting-edge collaborators to form a 21st-century language of expression. Her unconventional storytelling challenges the status quo of dance-theater, bridging ancient traditions with the contemporary world.
Known for igniting groundbreaking artistic partnerships, Preeti frequently collaborates with celebrated artists such as legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma, Guggenheim awardee Paul Kaiser and with leading ensembles like Silkroad. Preeti’s works have been commissioned by distinguished institutions including The Metropolitan Museum of Art NY, Glimmerglass Opera Festival NY, Guggenheim’s Works & Process NY, New Victory Theater NY, Morph Dance Company UK, and The Alliance Francaise, among others. She has been invited to sit on panels at the National Endowment for the Arts US, US Consulate panel on women creatives, Joyce Theater, and Asian American Arts Alliance.
Mia Kovalyak: Manager of Design & Marketing Communications
Mia Kovalyak is a designer and strategist that focuses on digital product design. After living in NYC for 4 years, she is now based in Pittsburgh, PA. Over the last 3.5 years, she’s built a strong career in digital design and strategy that largely focused on web and mobile-based designs. She recently received her Master of Design from Art Center College of Design where she studied Brand Design and Strategy.
Mia enjoys creating impactful design solutions and combining her passions for creativity with logical thinking practices.
Olivia Mendelson: Arts Administration Assistant
Olivia is an Arts Administration Assistant based in New York City. She graduated from Fordham University with a degree in Urban Studies and Visual Arts. Given the interdisciplinary nature of her undergraduate work, Olivia is passionate about improving the quality of life for children and adults in urban communities through accessibility to the arts and art education. Her focus on nonprofit work has been developed through her numerous roles in nonprofit management, administration, gallery work, and fundraising event coordination.
Nadine Grantham Philips: Development Associate
Nadine is a nonprofit grant professional with a strong background in institutional giving for organizations of various sizes. She has supported several nonprofits in developing their private and public grant portfolios and has assisted in multiple individual campaigns as well. With extensive personal experience in dance and theater, Nadine holds a special interest in supporting performing arts nonprofits. Originally from Santa Fe, New Mexico, Nadine is now based in Washington, DC where she is pursuing a career in reentry policy for people returning home from incarceration.
Terri Bruce: Development Associate
Terri Bruce is a human services professional with over 20 years in the community, economic, and workforce development arenas, with expertise in nonprofit evaluation, organizational development, strategic planning, grant writing, grants management, and fundraising. She currently resides in Downeast Maine.
Mary Serbe: Educational Advisor, Grant Writer, and First Voices Advisory
Board Member
Mary Serbe is a certified art educator with an MAT from the Art Institute of Chicago who has taught in schools, museums, and arts organizations with students from preschool age to adulthood. For four years, she was Education Director at the Yellowstone Art Museum, overseeing all aspects of education and learning including partnerships, classes, tours, docents, a dedicated gallery to art of young people, and all online learning and engagement. Currently, she is curator and co-proprietor of Kirks’ Grocery, an alternative art gallery, performance venue and gathering space where she also teaches and manages educational programming. At Montana State University Billings, Mary teaches Fundamentals of 2D Design.
Mary Serbe has had the privilege of being part of the Advisory Board for the First Voices project since 2020. She currently serves in that capacity in addition to writing grants and developing documentation and educational resources for First Voices.