Shovana Narayan is an internationally renowned Kathak exponent, guru and a choreographer. She is a disciple of Pandit Birju Maharaj, and has created a niche of her own in the field of Kathak. A recipient of Padma Shri and Sangeet Natak Akademi award, she is a multi-faceted artist – an acclaimed author, researcher, civil servant (retired) and a classical dancer. A pioneer in international collaborative fusion projects, she is well known for her immense creativity and contribution in the field of performing arts. She has worked with many western dancers and musicians, some of her choreographic works like "Moonlight Impressionism" and "The Dawn After" have been successful in bringing out the true color of different dance and musical forms.

She established the Asavari Centre for Kathak in Delhi, which nurtures talent and imparts Kathak training under Gurukul parampara (Guru shishya tradition). It has successfully created disciples who are now acclaimed dancers and spreading the art of Kathak worldwide and are also shining in the related fields of arts.