Since the inception of the Prakriti Foundation, we have been showcasing contemporary dance as a significant element of our festivals and events. In India, there are few practitioners in this field due to the lack of strong nurturing platforms that provide international exposure.
We at Prakriti Foundation believe that contemporary dance is the new emerging form of expression that weaves its own language and grammar in India. This needs to be recognized and mentored, thus enabling artists to achieve high levels of excellence. Hence, we have instituted the Prakriti Excellence in Contemporary Dance Awards (PECDA), a biennial event, which will be a platform for emerging contemporary dance forms, where by exposing artists to a wider audience.
With PECDA, we have judges look at works in progress of all entrants vetted down to the best. The winning company is provided with two key things. Firstly, they receive funding of Rs. 5 lakhs, to realize their new work into a full-fledged performance over a period of one year, which is then showcased at 6-six cities through The Park’s New Festival. And secondly, mentorship by a foreign company that aids the artistes in all areas of production and presentation.
Karthika Nair, noted author, dance producer and curator is the Festival Director of PECDA. Karthika Nair was born in India, lives in Paris, and works as a dance producer and curator. She is the author of Bearings, a poetry collection; DESH: Memories, inherited, borrowed, invented, a dance diary; and The Honey Hunter/ Le Tigre de Miel, a children’s book illustrated by Joelle Jolivet. Nair was the principal storywriter and scriptwriter of DESH, choreographer Akram Khan’s award-winning dance production. As a dance producer, Nair has worked in several Parisian cultural centers and with choreographers Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Damien Jalet and Mourad Merzouki (Kafig).
The jury members 
for this edition were:
- Saskia Kersenboom (Associate Professor of Theatre Studies, University of Amsterdam)
- Emma Gladstone (Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Dance Umbrella, London International Dance festival)
- Arundhathi Subramaniam (Author, Poet, Journalist and Curator)
- Sanjoy Roy (Critic, Guardian, UK and novelist)
- Claire Verlet (Dance Director, Theatre de la Ville, Paris).
Additionally, this edition featured the following mentors: Leela Samson (Dancer, Choreographer, Instructor and Writer), Nelson Fernandez (Artist and Arts Producer), Sadanand Menon (Arts Editor, Teacher of Cultural Journalism, Photographer, Arts Curator and Speaker) and Anmol Vellani (Founder and Former Executive Director of the India Foundation for the Arts).
Prakriti Foundation, in collaboration with Kalakshetra Foundation, presented the 2014 edition of the Prakriti Excellence in Contemporary Dance Awards (PECDA).
The winning performance in 2014 was Nerves, choreographed by Surjit Nongmeikapam of Nachom Arts of Contemporary Movement and performed by Purnima Yengkokpam, Senjam Hemjit Meitei, Laiphangbam Suraj Roy, Sumeet Sagolsem, Suresh Kiran Singh Khundrakpam and Surjit Nongmeikapam.
