Rajika Puri & Dancers: Conversations with Shiva- March 22-25, 2007
Reviews |
ON Rajika Puri with mention of CHOREOGRAPHY & FUSION WORKS:
“The highlight of the evening was BHARATANATYAM-BACH VARIATIONS with Rajika Puri and Shobana Ram. They were both in tune with the music. . . They made it look like Classical Indian dance was meant to be danced to Bach.” |
- Robert Abrams, Explore Dance |
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| “The (American Music Theater) Festival . . . wisely hired Rajika Puri, the lady who makes this production magical. She is the narrator, credited with the Indian choreography. . .” |
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Karen Monson The Wall Street Journal |
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| “Puri has a similar magnetism to the best Graham dancers. . . Fusion probably came naturally to her; she holds one of the secrets to it. To meld both worlds you must understand and honor both equally and know what can mesh and what cannot.” |
- Leigh Witchel |
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| “Rajika Puri is a dancer after my own heart, because she is not satisfied with excellence only in classical dance, but innovates on classical and modern themes, arousing the audience to understand what the classical style of dance can play in interpreting modern thought” |
- Hima Devi The Afternoon Despatch & Courier, Mumbai |
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| “Rajika has beautifully blended it (Flamenco) with Bharatnatyam movements bringing in a festive spirit of a bullring to the performance. Both the 'Sutradhari Natyam' and 'Flamenco Natyam' were fascinating for their uniqueness, innovative body language and presentational mode.” |
| - Bibhuti Mishra, The Hindu, Bhubaneshwar |
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RAJIKA PURI performance focus:
“”. . . the Narrator, resplendently sung, danced, and articulated by the bewitching Rajika Puri, is an Indian woman’s incarnation of Joel Grey’s MC in Cabaret, decked in tails, stark makeup and gorgeous long hair;” |
- Gordon Rogoff in the Village Voice |
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| “I saw Rajika Puri, wearing hair to the waist and tails, command the stage with the sultry presence of Marlene Dietrich and the agile versatility of Charlie Chaplin. It this musical play lasts long enough for people to see it, I fully expect her to reach star status in the not-too-distant future.” |
- Amei Wallach in Newsday |
| “In this (Flamenco Natyam) the dancer's movements were much clearer, the lines strong, the angashuddha (neatness of postures) in evidence. . . . Rajika mentioned her affinity for the arm movements found in Flamenco, and the emphasis on her own arm movements was aesthetic.” |
- A.R. The Hindu, New Delhi |
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| “The missing sparkle was filled . . .(by) . . . Rajika Puri whose vibrant personality not only acted as a cohesive force but added new dimensions . . .Rajika Puri has constantly tried to deal with the inter-relationship between Indian dance music, poetry, sculpture and painting.” |
- Chitra Mahesh The Hindu, Chennai |
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