For the last thirty years Sujata has worked to increase awareness and understanding about Bharata Natyam through innovative choreographies and productions. These productions explore new ways to use the ancient dance vocabulary. Though rooted in Bharata Natyam, her work incorporates contemporary themes and diverse musical influences from around the world.
Rhythms and Raga –Production in collaboration with Cambridgeshire council Uk.
Shape project: In collaboration with the East Midlands Arts, UK, this project was based on the belief that the differently abled in our communities have an equal right to explore the classical art forms. The production involved dancers from the local center for the hearing impaired. The dancers were taught the choreography using new and innovative techniques culminating in a public performance in Leicester UK.
Ritu—The Magic of the Seasons: This explored the emotions associated with the different seasons using the elaborate movement vocabulary of Bharata Natyam.
Yatra: This traced the journey of Bharata Natyam from its origins in the temples of South India to present day performances where music from diverse traditions are used in its choreographies. This was a collaboration with the Wilks University Wind Ensemble, PA.
Dance Residency –Tunkhannock and Nanticoke School Districts, PA. The fifteen-day workshop, supported by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts exposed the students to a new style of dance, music, painting, and literature, their interconnections and their links to India Philosophy and Culture. The demonstration and instruction of the movement vocabulary of Bharata Natyam and later the performance of a choreographed piece provided an opportunity to start discussions on Indian history, painting, culture, and philosophy.
Natya: A Bharata Natyam choreography to Band music by Kevin Mixon. Here non-Indian music is used to depict a traditional Indian theme. The choreography highlights how the merging of an ancient artform with diverse musical elements can create pieces that have a new authenticity’.
Ancient Legacies Modern Lands—I The program presented how the ancient Indian Art form has adapted to its new home. Transplanted into a new and different environment it has had to make subtle adjustments to survive and flourish.
Ancient Legacies Modern Lands—II The production “Ancient traditions Modern Lands— II” was a sequel to the 2017 performance of the same name. The focus was on erasing differences of language, culture and religion and incorporated English poetry by famous American and international poets.
Unity in Diversity: Using Indian Classical Dance and Classical Ballet “Unity in Diversity” shows the common thread that binds the diverse world cultures in their basic human instinct to experiment and create a movement vocabulary. This similarity transcends the differences in culture, language, costume, and music.