(JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- On Saturday, May 5, 2018, Surati for Performing Arts will host their 10th Annual Holi Hai Festival of Colors in Exchange Place, from 12:00pm to 8:00pm. This free event will actively bring together thousands of people, from diverse communities, through multicultural performances, ethnic food, retail vendors, and kid-friendly educational activities.
The 2017 event was confirmed by local law enforcement to have 8000-10,000 people in attendance, with registration analytics revealing attendees from 14 states within the U.S., as well as participants from the U.K. and Mexico. Along the Hudson River, and with spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline, audiences will take part in yoga demonstrations, henna tattooing, an interactive Rangoli demonstration, as well as dance and music workshops.
Audiences can register free through this Eventbrite link to learn more about deals on color packets, drink coupons, and more.
Festival partners include the Consulate General of India in NYC, Hudson County Office of Cultural Affairs and Tourism, as well as Jersey City Cultural Affairs. New York’s Consul General of India, Sandeep Chakravorty, has confirmed his attendance, as well as several local councilmen. Surati expects the mayors of Jersey City and Hoboken to make appearances too.
Surati’s Holi Slogan: “When everyone is colorful, no one is different.”
Holi is an ancient Indian tradition, with the first mentions of it dating back to a 4th century poem. Though Holi has its roots in Indian mythology, Surati celebrates it as a strictly secular event, encouraging participation from all cultures and ethnicities. Holi is also as a great equalizer in India, with rules of caste and creed briefly forgotten. Originally a way to present empowering stories of good over evil, Holi has become a more general celebration of spring, new beginnings, brotherhood and diversity.
Signature performances, continuing with a theme of unity, will demonstrate a partnership between the East and West, including Surati students performing a classical Indian dance (Odissi) to an adaptation of the Game of Thrones theme song. Surati’s professional touring company, which fuses Indian dance with ballet, will also present a Spring celebration dance, to a song written by nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, in addition to a danced story-telling about the history of Holi. For added texture, DJ Rekha will be spinning and Bollywood composer and singer Rajesh Roy will be singing live.
Surati For Performing Arts is a 501(c)(3) organization that educates and enriches communities through dance, music, and theatre, while also promoting Indian art and culture. Based in Jersey City, New Jersey, Surati’s team of professional dancers, musicians and instructors perform and instruct at corporate functions, fund raisers, and cultural events throughout the U.S. and abroad. Learn more at suratiinc.com.
Founder and Artistic Director of Surati for Performing Arts, Rimli Roy is a choreographer, producer, and director, that breaks boundaries of traditional Indian dance and music forms. Roy is trained in three distinct Indian classical forms, studying Bharatnatyam, Manipuri and Odissi by reputed masters in India since the age of four. Ms. Roy is also trained in Hindustani classical vocals and western classical piano.
In 2017, Roy adapted one of the most epic tales from India The Ramayana by fusing traditional and contemporary movement and music styles, as well as Shakespearean verse, opera and Broadway storytelling. The piece, called Ramaavan was presented in English and featured at Surati’s Diwali Festival. Rimli Roy co-wrote, designed and directed the work with a team of 30 dancers, musicians and crew.
Rimli is also the recipient of grants from the Hudson County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. She has been engaged in promoting Indian art and culture across the United States and beyond by means of stage performances, educational collaborations with various institutions (museums, schools, libraries) as well as teaching Indian classical music and dance for over two decades.
Rimli, along with the Surati team, have performed at prestigious venues like the United Nations, The Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center (DC), The Library of Congress (DC), The Reichhold Center - University of the U.S Virgin Islands, The Alaska Performing Arts Center (AK), The University of the West Indies in Barbados, and The World Financial Center Wintergarden, now known as Brookfield Place, to name a few.
