“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.”
“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.“
“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.”
“Thank you again for the lovely piece, it was a beautiful addition to the program and an opportunity for the students they won’t forget and will serve them well in their future endeavors.”
“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”
“I’m still on a high from the amazing performance conducted last night by Kala Vandanam. The premiere of Ritu- The Seasons was full of amazing original beauty- stellar choreography, enrapturing music, creative costumes. The dance company danced with such perfection, feeling and preciseness. I felt like I was experiencing the unraveling of the seasons as the dancers led me so gently through…overall a SUPERB performance.”
“It was such a phenomenal and awesome experience! Unraveling the beauty of all seasons by dancers gave a feel as though a ray of sunshine falls on, as though mesmerised by the beauty of spring, as though playing a splish splash in water, as though experiencing full on winter and frost. A performance full of soul and life!”
“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… Thank-you all, for sharing your gifts and culture with us tonight… you brought exceptional grace, and beauty into the city…. As we all seek to live in peace and learn of each other, it is important to bring art and understanding through performances such as this.”
“It was a wonderful and an amazing performance from Kala Vandanam this evening. It made me say wow for the second time also, and gave me goosebumps… Can’t wait for the next show!”
“The dance performance was wonderful — the setting, the time of day, the introductions, the movements. A great celebration of “time” and its possible meanings and interpretations when “our times” seem angular, frustrating, and at times violent. Many thanks!”
“(It was) very easy to connect with the music and dance. The performers were wonderful and did a great job. You could relate to their enthusiasm and joy. Thank you for your hard work and a beautiful performance right in my neighborhood at Mears Park. You are always welcome back.”
“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 a beautiful production! The dancers were so expressive and poised, the costumes were lovely, and the music enchanting.”
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.”
AUDIENCE REACTION
St. Paul Art Crawl Spring 2015 Dance Showcase – April 25, 2015
“Red Sun” – Bharatanatyam-Flamenco collaboration with Suchitra Sairam and Tara Weatherly
“Amazing collaboration of Bharatanatyam and Flamenco dancing! Whew, took my breath away with the mastery over rhythm and movement!”
“A tasteful collaboration between Flamenco and Bharatanatyam! Wow’d!”
“You two created something breathtaking with this. I feel blessed having been there to experience it. Thank you!”
Dakshina – Solo Concert
August 9, 2009, San Antonio, TX
“I am delighted to write this note to you. I had the privilege of watching your performance a few weeks ago. 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. They were intense and very impressive. I know I was not the only one in the audience who felt the mood with you…. 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…. Please continue to keep the traditional aspects of Bharatanatyam alive and well. I hope we get to see you perform again soon.”
Love Lyrics
– Minnesota Fringe Festival 2004
Audience Reviews posted to www.fringefestival.org
A Cultural Dance Primer
“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. Each dance was opened with a “primer” on the graceful hand gestures and body language that would be seen in that set. It helped bring the dance “alive” and allowed me to enter into the theme being portrayed. As well, it translated the beautiful poetry of the music. On top of it all, the dancer’s costumes were detailed and quite gorgeous. Overall, it was a beautiful introduction to Indian dance, and does inspire me to see more.”
Storytelling, dance, expression
“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 Telegu, the messages are clear and heartfelt.”
A Novice Perspective
“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. The performers dedication, passion and hard work were apparent. Their balance and stamina was amazing, while their synchronization appeared flawless to me. The music was fitting and I found the expressionist style to be very compelling and enjoyable. I was surprised at how effective the use of body and facial expressions can be in telling a story. I was entertained throughout the show (which was about an hour) and I would recommend it to other novices as well. Anyone else interested in learning about other cultures and their method of dance/storytelling would enjoy it also. A wonderful and entertaining performance!”
Love Lyrics
“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 debut performance of the Kala Vandanam Dance Company is exquiste, literal, spiritual and humorous. The audience will have an easy time understanding as each dance is prefaced the story itself along with the hand gestures. The attention to detail makes this performance worthwhile and as well as educational. It is definitely time well spent.”
A memorable production
“Legend has it that dance originated in the despair of the gods, who saw it was necessary to provide humankind with an artistic diversion. How pleased they would be after attending a performance of Love Lyrics! For they would realize that far from being a mere diversion, the medium of dance can be an exquisite instrument of emotional expression and an art of unsurpassed beauty. One need not even be familiar with classical Indian dance to appreciate this production. Its theme of love in its many facets invokes the most universal and affecting of human feelings, and the expressive aspect in the individual dance-dramas is done with such care that the stories are not difficult to follow. The prefatory narration to each is almost superfluous, but effectively establishes a background to each piece. Particularly memorable are the fearsomely s! cornful woman in Muttavadhura, the dreamy Sita and stoic Rama in Yaaro Ivar Yaaro, and the compellingly lovely and dramatic portrayal of Yashoda in Krishna Nee Begane Baaro. The opening Nrittanjali offered a dazzling and energetic beginning to the evening with graceful movements set to complex rhythmic patterns. It’s hard to imagine a better introduction to this form of dance – Bharata Natyam – than this show. See it!”
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