Sarada Nori, an accomplished Kuchipudi dancer, is a disciple of Guru Sri Vempati Ravi Shankar and Guru Smt. Maddali Usha Gayathri. A postgraduate in Computer Science, Sarada decided to pursue her passion and obtained a Masters of Arts degree specializing in Kuchipudi from the University of SiliconAndhra. In addition, she is an exponent of Carnatic classical music under the tutelage of Guru Smt. Sarada Subramanyam and Guru Sri Nethi Srirama Sarma. Recognized for her artistic prowess, Sarada is a graded artiste on Doordarshan (India’s national broadcaster). An able puppeteer with over two decades of experience, Sarada blends Kuchipudi with contemporary puppetry which she leverages in workshops and lecture demonstrations on social themes in her community outreach and artistic endeavors.
As the founder and artistic director of Layavinyasa, Sarada has been promoting the ancient dance form of Kuchipudi and Carnatic classical Music since 2010 in the New England region in the U.S. where she currently resides. She has performed at events in India, United States and Mauritius.
In 2017 Sarada and her ensemble were a part of the prestigious International Festival of Arts and Ideas at Newhaven where she premiered the production ‘Prakrthi’ which blended traditional Kuchipudi and contemporary puppetry to advocate environmental protection. She believes in making meaningful connections with her students through dance dramas from Panchatantra, Jataka tales and mythological stories that incorporate English narratives. She has been invited as a judge by UConn Sanskrithi (University of Connecticut).Sarada is a recipient of the 'Artists Respond' and 'Artists Fellowship' awards by the Connecticut Office of Arts. In collaboration with the Connecticut Council for Social Studies, Sarada has contributed to the K-12 curriculum to incorporate Indian history in to Connecticut school curriculum. As an active member of the community, she engages in extensive community outreach by articulating these artforms at public libraries, educational institutions, corporate houses, non-profit organizations, religious institutions and organizations focused on Indian diaspora.
Sarada's work has been funded by New England Foundation for the Arts, Middletown Commission on Arts, Connecticut Historical Society and CT humanities. She has been featured in ‘Coming Home- A Harford Collage’ performed by Cuatro Puntos Ensemble in partnership with the Greater Hartford Arts Council and the Autorino Center for the Arts.
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United States
International Festival of Arts and Ideas
Connecticut Historical Society
Greenwich Historical Society
Wesleyan University Navrathri Festival
Uconn Ballard Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry
Henry Whitfield State Museum
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness ISKCON
Culture for a Cause -a fundraiser to help Rebuild Nepal
Power of Peace- Fundraiser to help underprivileged children
Asha for Education
VSEI (Volunteers in Service to Education in India)
Telugu Association of Connecticut celebrations
Hoysala Kannada Koota festival
Milan Cultural Association, Inc fundraiser
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India
Sangeet Natak Academi
Doordarshan-National Television
Sanskara Bharathi festival
Siddhendra Yogi Festival (Kuchipudi village)
Margazhi Festival at Chennai Music and dance festival
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Mauritius
Tour sponsored by Government of Mauritius
Community Outreach
Manchester Public Library
Glastonbury Public Library
Hartford Public Library
New Britain Public Library
Middletown Public Library
Bloomfield Public Library
Simsbury Public Library
Avon Public Library
Rocky Hill public Library
YMCA
CIGNA Inc.
Eastern Connecticut State University
Smith College
Manchester Community College
Make Music Hartford
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