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(WNY News Now) – Sukanya Burman Dance recently discussed the upcoming Jamestown Dance Festival with WNY News Now, as well as some of their other upcoming events that are sure to enthrall audiences.
Jamestown, N.Y. – WNY News Now recently sat down with Sukanya Burman and Daryl Simons of Sukanya Burman Dance, to discuss the many exciting events that they will soon be putting on.
Following the resounding success of last year’s Jamestown Dance Festival, Sukanya Burman Dance is expanding this year’s festival from a 2 night event to a four day festival. They have partnered with SUNY JCC to present two of their performances on campus, while their main show will still be held at the Reg Lenna Center For The Arts. The JCC shows will be held on September 4th and 6th, while the Reg Lenna performance will be held on September 5th.
This year, they are excited to bring Les Ballet Afrik, a dance company from New York. Led by Creative Director Omari Wiles, who has performed at the Joyce Theater, the Lincoln Center, and the Guggenheim, and has worked with stars such as Beyonce, Janet Jackson, and Madonna, they will perform “New York Is Burning”, an homage to 1990’s “Paris Is Burning”, in which they will explore the underground ballroom culture of Harlem in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, and how Black and Latinx artists, particularly those from the LGBTQ community, revolutionized dance and formed a space of belonging and acceptance in the underground ballroom scene.
On September 4th at JCC, they will be holding an Indian Classical Night at the Scharmann Theater from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. And on September 6th, they will be presenting a regional artist showcase involving MahataMmoho Collective, a Buffalo-based company that works at the intersection of West African and contemporary dance, as well as Star Larson, a Sugar Grove, PA native, and Grace Gibbons from Chautauqua County, who will each perform their own choreographies.
There will also be a multitude of workshops available, including a Vogueing workshop led by Les Ballet Afrik at the Scharmann Theater on September 4th, an Intro to Indian Classical workshop led by Sukanya Burman Dance at the Sukanya Burman Dance Studio on September 6th, and a Dunham Technique Modern Dance workshop led by Megan A. Evans-Rakeepile of MahataMmoho Collective on September 7th.
Sukanya Burman Dance is incredibly grateful to their sponsors, including the New York State Dance Force, New York State Council on the Arts, Chautauqua Regional Community Foundation, the Coalition for Asian American Families, Evergreen Health, Wegmans, and Live Chautauqua, saying that they couldn’t have done it all without their support.
Beyond their sponsors, the support of the community has also proven indispensable for their progress and expansion. The attendance of last year’s inaugural Jamestown Dance Festival made the event a roaring success, and demand seems to be just as high if not higher for this year’s festival. Sukanya Burman Dance credits the openness with which the community has embraced them for their success, stating that such a thing wouldn’t be possible in big cities like New York. They are very thankful that they can call Chautauqua County their home, where they can create art that resonates within the community.
For viewers concerned about the pricepoint of entry into the dance festival, worry not. Affordability has been heavily taken into consideration while planning the festival to ensure that as many members of the community as possible are able to enjoy the arts and festivities. Festival passes, which grant access to everything, cost only $35.
They also offer discounts for students, senior citizens, and low-income households. In addition, they are offering free tickets through Arts Access with ASI Western New York. Anyone interested in entering this program can email them at info@sukanyaburman.com.
One of the things that Sukanya Burman Dance is especially proud of is the feedback that they have received from viewers who previously might not have been particularly interested in dance. Some of the feedback they had received from last year’s festival can be seen below:
“I didn’t know dance could do that…” – Justin H.
“The performances had a deep meaning and was so fun… would go again!” – Tav W.
“WOW!!! I left feeling empowered, entertained, uplifted – and proud” – Suzanne F.
“Very much enjoyed it! I have never attended anything like it before, and the production of all were top notch” – Zach A.
“I was blown away by the evocative, immersive creativity on display.” – Noah G.
“I hope this festival will become an annual event- I would love to bring students next year!” – Kristin D.
“Just what my soul needed and was thirsting for” – Rebecca Y.
“We were very impressed and look forward to attending again.” – Dana L.
“I appreciate the access provided for dancers to express their art in less conventional setting.” – Jim P.
“It was amazing! I couldn’t keep my feet still through the whole performance!” – Melissa M.
Looking beyond the festival, Sukanya Burman will also be holding a quarterly series called Chaturanga Art in Flux, which will pair local artists with mentors to help them develop the process of art making, which will then be shared with the public. However, one thing that differentiates this series from others is the interactiveness it will bring to the audience, inviting them to engage in an exchange of ideas and immersing themselves in the art making process.
The first iteration of this series will take place in November, and a call out for artists has already been sent out. Any interested artists are free to apply, and the criteria is not limited to dancers but any artists with a performative element to their craft, such as movement artists, spoken word artists, and interdisciplinary artists.
Anyone looking for more information on the Jamestown Dance Festival or other events that Sukanya Burman Dance is holding can go to sukanyaburman.com to learn more. If you are looking to ask them a question, you can email them at info@sukanyaburman.com or reach out to them on their social media platforms, such as Facebook or Instagram.
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