PRESENTER REACTION
“Suchi, I cannot think of enough nice things to say about todays performance at Ameriprise. You were amazing! All afternoon I ran into people raving about you. One person said “I could have watched her all day!” Another said, “I was lost, didn’t think about work for a minute”, yet another paid perhaps the highest compliment, “Not one person looked at their phone the whole time.” This last said in all seriousness, btw. I can’t wait to have you back.“
“I give Suchi Sairam the greatest compliment I can give a presenter: she is a teacher. She wants and knows how to connect with an audience. Her presence and energy with a group is undeniable. She was able to connect with our audience, and that audience was 125 high school students; just consider what she can do with your audience.”
“What a pleasure to work with you and your excellent students! I was so impressed by their beautiful performance and serious dedication to what they are doing. It’s amazing to me that so many started at a young age and have stuck with it. Truly impressive.”
“I wish to extend my heartfelt thanks for your wonderfully rich and highly engaging performance. Not only were we entertained but we were also educated on the symbolic representation and “story” conveyed through Indian dance. You and your students brought to life this ancient tradition and clearly showed us that even though the language and historical context differ, communication, emotion and the human experience are transcendental.”
AUDIENCE REACTION
“Ritu – The Seasons”
“The beauty of the dance performance as the story of the seasons unfolded through dance and music, coupled with a perfectly gorgeous summer night at Mears Park made this a very special performance for all attending… you brought exceptional grace, and beauty into the city….”
“With poise and grace belying their age, the young dancers moved through space dynamically to complex rhythms while using their acting skills seamlessly. Watch these dancers closely, they are going to be formidable.”
“What you accomplished with your students with Ritu was nothing short of extraordinary…. Kudos to you and everyone else at Kala Vandanam!”
“Everything about it was gorgeous…. We left the theater just elated.”
“Dakshina”
Solo concert by Suchitra Sairam
“I have attended several dance programs, watched wonderful artists perform. However, I have yet to see an artist as uninhibitedly expressful as yourself. I was awestruck at your display of emotions that changed so quickly and so thoroughly. I felt very overwhelmed by your depiction of such difficult emotional vicissitudes and felt deeply satisfied with the images moving so gracefully in front of me… Your accurate depictions, your story telling and your brilliant expressions to each piece, brought out the story in each song regardless of whether we understood the actual language of the song or not…”
“Love Lyrics”
“I was intrigued by the theme of the show, and how various forms of love could be translated through an ancient form of dance from South India. It didn’t matter that I have little experience with Indian dance tradition… it was a beautiful introduction to Indian dance, and does inspire me to see more.”
“Love Lyrics is a wonderful presentation, danced with flair and style. The intricacies of foot work, gesture, and facial expression are amazing. The musical rhythms and expressive storytelling pull you in and hold you. It matters not if you understand Tamil or Telugu, the messages are clear and heartfelt.”
“Though I’ve never been exposed to Indian dance, I left the performance with a much better understanding of the cultural style and I enjoyed discussing my interpretations of the different dances with others… A wonderful and entertaining performance!”
“Love Lyrics takes storytelling to a new level by combining music, costuming, song and most importantly classical Indian Dance known as Bharatanatyam. The audience is temporarily transformed back in time where dance and story telling become one… The attention to detail makes this performance worthwhile and as well as educational. It is definitely time well spent.”
“Red Sun”
Bharatanatyam-Flamenco collaboration with Suchitra Sairam and Tara Weatherly
“You two created something breathtaking with this. I feel blessed having been there to experience it. Thank you!”