​Sudakshina, I'm at a loss for words after a most-mesmerizing performance by you and your talented team yesterday afternoon!

We were spell-bound by your amazing vision of orchestrating this work of art, precision choreography, an amazing soundtrack, flawless sound, eloquent narration and everything in between - completely glitch-free!

I was particularly smitten by the choice of music, since one identified with most of the compositions - Theme from Bombay - my all-time-fav ARR track, Ludwig Goransson's 'Meeting Kitty' from Oppenheimer, Hans Zimmer's 'Grains of Sand' from Dune, Aigiri Nandini, which I've listened to a million times over and never tire of, as an offering to Linga Bhairavi @ Isha; Billie Eilish & Finneas' 'I Love You' and of course 'Aaj Jaane ki', the Farida Khanum classic, rendered by Arijit! Enough about the music though! 

The thematic performance order of dance through the 'Nava Rasas' leading to the crescendo/climax was simply phenomenal, and the two hours just flew by!!

Cannot even imagine the work that has gone into this labor of love! Sincerely hope that you are able to reprise this in ATL and perhaps in other cities as well.

Please convey our congratulations to the team, and special kudos to Rai for her pitch-perfect narration! 🙏🏽🙌🏾❣️👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

Thanks a ton for informing us about this gem of an event! 🙏🏽🙌🏾"

​Last Sunday, we were captivated by the mesmerizing dance recital from you and your team at Atlanta Nritya Academy. As a long-time admirer of your productions, I have always appreciated their uniqueness and entertainment value. However, last Sunday's performance truly surpassed all expectations.

Everything was perfect, from the music and costume selection, background lighting to the script and the soulful narration by Rai. The dance performances were exceptional, ranging from the adorable tiny tots to the graceful ladies. A special mention goes to the stunning abhinaya of the nava rasas performed by the young dancers and their maestro herself!

For two hours, you held the audience in rapt attention, and when the curtains finally fell, the thunderous applause brought us all back to reality. Your dedication and talent shine through in every performance. We eagerly anticipate your future endeavors and look forward to witnessing your next Nrityanatya.

More power to you!"

Dear Sudakshina Mukherjee ji,

I wanted to extend my heartfelt appreciation to you for your exceptional guidance and support in preparing my daughter for the recent NAVA recital. Your dedication to teaching Bharatanatyam is truly inspiring, and it was evident in the mesmerizing performance my daughter delivered on stage.

Moreover, I would like to express my gratitude to all the other students who participated in the NAVA recital. Each performance was a beautiful showcase of talent and dedication, and it was a joy to witness the diversity of expressions and emotions portrayed through Bharatanatyam.

The word "NAVA," meaning navarasa, perfectly encapsulated the range of emotions displayed throughout the recital. From the joyous expressions of happiness to the poignant portrayal of sorrow, each dance piece was a testament to the depth and richness of Bharatanatyam as an art form.

I am deeply grateful to you and all the performers for creating such a memorable and culturally enriching experience. Your passion for Bharatanatyam and commitment to nurturing young talent is truly commendable, and I feel privileged to have my daughter be a part of your dance school.

Thank you once again for your unwavering dedication and for instilling in my daughter a love for Bharatanatyam."

​-ANA Parent

​I was absolutely blown away by the performance on June 2nd by Sudakshina Mukherjee and her talented team! The choreography, soundtrack, Rai Mukherjee's narration and script Jyothi Balakrishnan Shibu costume—everything was flawlessly executed, keeping us completely mesmerized throughout. The music choices were particularly striking, with tracks like the Theme from Bombay, "Meeting Kitty" from Oppenheimer, "Grains of Sand" from Dune,” I love you”  from Bille Eilish  and classics like Aigiri Nandini and "Aaj Jaane ki". The progression through the 'Nava Rasas' to the climax was truly remarkable, and before we knew it, two hours had flown by!
I can only imagine the dedication and hard work that went into creating such a labor of love. The incredible voice-over and script writing by Rai, coupled with Sudakshina's great choreography and amazing modern choices of music, made this traditional dance form an interesting and mesmerizing experience. I sincerely hope you can bring more of this performance to us throughout the year. My congratulations to the whole team for an unforgettable experience!"

​We wake up and we go to bed. Every single day. In the midst of these two, we go through a zillion different feelings, though, without even realizing it. A recital I just witnessed reminded me of that. It showcased nine categories of emotions so potently that I nearly lived each of those along with the cast — one by one. Like the rest of the audience, I also thought I was going to watch an Indian classical dance performance, and jeez, was I wrong! 

It was a stupendous show where 50+ artists took the crowds through a crisply written script that entailed love, fear, astonishment, heartbreak, disgust, anger, peace and more, demonstrated with the music from both East and West. The performers danced their feet out with their musical Indian metal anklets on to the beats of ‘Dandelions,’ moving on to ‘Grains of Sand’ from Dune, ‘Aaj Jaane ki Zidd’ by Arijit, and ‘Aigiri Nandini’ by Sounds of Isha, among others. 

The show reminded me and likely the rest of the audience that we humans go through so many emotions and feelings, but we only experience and process them when we sit with them. More importantly, it reminded me that no feeling remains constant as tears always turn to laughter. Fear always turn to courage. And love always outlives disgust. And that we all are constantly aiming for the ultimate: peace. This poignant show, NAVA, deserves way more than my few words of appreciation, but it will be unfair not to say anything about it. Also, it hits you different when your two close friends and daughters are in the show.😇

P.S. Sudakshina your dance on Billie Eilish & Finneas ‘I Love You’ brought a flood of tears out of me that were long contained in my heart.❤️"