About Surati
Surati for performing arts , has created, produced and performed original works that have had a national impact on communities within the U.S and beyond. Surati’s work has attracted people from over 25 U.S states and 10 countries worldwide.
Surati Founder & Artistic director, Rimli Roy, an artiste herself, runs the creative side of the organization and often plays the role of executive producer for its programs. The administration, marketing and public relations are handled by contractors, for programs throughout the year. Surati works with dancers, musicians, technicians, composers and actors and has about 60 volunteers who donate their time throughout the year for various tasks. Even during the pandemic Surati has created programs to serve over 10,000 people in-person and via social media websites (facebook, instagram. youtube etc.)
Surati works with artists, administrators and technicians who are culturally and ethnically diverse, including African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans as well as individuals with learning and physical disabilities. Surati brings its programming to the under-served communities including senior citizens and low-income communities. Surati also runs programs for youth and children, and has provided scholarships to 50 low-income students.
Surati Founder & Artistic director, Rimli Roy, an artiste herself, runs the creative side of the organization and often plays the role of executive producer for its programs. The administration, marketing and public relations are handled by contractors, for programs throughout the year. Surati works with dancers, musicians, technicians, composers and actors and has about 60 volunteers who donate their time throughout the year for various tasks. Even during the pandemic Surati has created programs to serve over 10,000 people in-person and via social media websites (facebook, instagram. youtube etc.)
Surati works with artists, administrators and technicians who are culturally and ethnically diverse, including African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans as well as individuals with learning and physical disabilities. Surati brings its programming to the under-served communities including senior citizens and low-income communities. Surati also runs programs for youth and children, and has provided scholarships to 50 low-income students.
About Rimli Roy
RIMLI ROY is an artiste, dancer, choreographer, producer, actor, director, visionary and humanitarian from Kolkata, India who embarked on her artistic journey at the age of four, immersing herself first in classical Indian dance forms like Odissi, Bharatnatyam, Manipuri under renowned gurus of India, while also learning Western classical pianoforte under the tutelage of the Trinity College of Music, London as well as Indian Classical music (Hindustani vocals and harmonium). Her quest led her to explore beyond traditional practices.
Rimli's creativity knows no limits. She fearlessly ventured into various classical and folk dances, even delving into Tagore's art forms. By blending modern, ballet, jazz, opera, and musical theatre elements, her performances have found a global audience, from conventional stages to digital platforms and television screens.
Coming from a lineage of well-known artists in India, Rimli's exceptional talent has been recognized through grants from prestigious institutions. For more than two decades, she's been a passionate advocate of Indian arts, captivating audiences through dynamic stage shows, educational partnerships, and teaching traditional art forms.
A visionary community worker, she and her team train new dancers and musicians every year, and partners with various organizations in the Tri-State area to take arts to the community. Her group constitutes a diverse group of dancers, musicians and actors trained in a wide range of styles, individually hand-picked from various parts of the world. Hailing from a family of highly accomplished musicians, Rimli works around the clock to create path-breaking concepts in musical theatre, eclectic and traditional staged productions originating in Indian culture, often with interpretations from around the world, incorporating a blend of styles and traditions to create a thoroughly multicultural experience for the audience.
Rimli's creativity knows no limits. She fearlessly ventured into various classical and folk dances, even delving into Tagore's art forms. By blending modern, ballet, jazz, opera, and musical theatre elements, her performances have found a global audience, from conventional stages to digital platforms and television screens.
Coming from a lineage of well-known artists in India, Rimli's exceptional talent has been recognized through grants from prestigious institutions. For more than two decades, she's been a passionate advocate of Indian arts, captivating audiences through dynamic stage shows, educational partnerships, and teaching traditional art forms.
A visionary community worker, she and her team train new dancers and musicians every year, and partners with various organizations in the Tri-State area to take arts to the community. Her group constitutes a diverse group of dancers, musicians and actors trained in a wide range of styles, individually hand-picked from various parts of the world. Hailing from a family of highly accomplished musicians, Rimli works around the clock to create path-breaking concepts in musical theatre, eclectic and traditional staged productions originating in Indian culture, often with interpretations from around the world, incorporating a blend of styles and traditions to create a thoroughly multicultural experience for the audience.
Significant milestones in her journey are the creation of productions like “Glimpses of India” and “Ramaavan – A Musical” that seamlessly blend genres from the East and the West. Ramaavan - A Musical received the National Endowment for the Arts Award for Musical Theater in 2024 - 25. The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Government of India, invited Rimli Roy and Surati to tour India with Ramaavan – A Musical in July/August 2024, further cementing its significance as a global cultural production.
Rimli's artistry has graced iconic venues such as the United Nations, The Kennedy Center and The Library of Congress in D.C, The Lincoln Center in NYC, The Indian Consulate in NYC, Times Square NYC and The Alaska Performing Arts Center. Beyond her performances, she nurtures budding dancers and collaborates with tri state organizations to democratize the arts. Her ensemble beautifully reflects her commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusivity.
Rimli's artistry has graced iconic venues such as the United Nations, The Kennedy Center and The Library of Congress in D.C, The Lincoln Center in NYC, The Indian Consulate in NYC, Times Square NYC and The Alaska Performing Arts Center. Beyond her performances, she nurtures budding dancers and collaborates with tri state organizations to democratize the arts. Her ensemble beautifully reflects her commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusivity.
Rimli and Surati are the recipient of several awards and grants including ones from Dance NYC, The NJ State Council on the Arts, The Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation, Princeton Area Community Foundation's NJ Arts and Culture Renewal Fund, Hudson County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, The City of Jersey City and NJ State Tourism.
Rimli has received several accolades for her work including a Folk Arts Apprenticeship award from the NJ State Council on the Arts and a U.S. Artists International award. She received the NJ State Council on the Arts 2024 Individual Artist Fellowship award. Her work has been featured in The Vogue, NY Daily News, NBC News, The Star-Ledger, and The Jersey Journal, to name a few. Rimli was also nominated for a NJ Heritage Fellowship award for Folk and Traditional arts from the State of NJ in 2023.
Rimli Roy isn't just an artist; she embodies the essence of both tradition and innovation. Trained across three Indian classical dance forms alongside her knowledge and training in piano and Indian classical vocals, she personifies dedication. Her acclaimed production, "Ramaavan - A Musical," based on the famed ancient Indian epic, (at par with the Iliad and the Odyssey), “The Ramayana, unfolds the significance of Diwali, and ingeniously blends global genres, Indian dance, and music to address contemporary themes. Rimli Roy has been developing and presenting Ramaavan - A Musical since 2018 in New Jersey and New York City.
Rimli is currently working on a project where arts will meet science through stories of the sun, solar energy, and the environment as a whole, also promoting world peace through unity in diversity. Rimli and her Surati team have graced stages worldwide, inspiring creativity and forging connections across cultures. Her journey reminds us that art is boundless and unifying.
Rimli is currently working on a project where arts will meet science through stories of the sun, solar energy, and the environment as a whole, also promoting world peace through unity in diversity. Rimli and her Surati team have graced stages worldwide, inspiring creativity and forging connections across cultures. Her journey reminds us that art is boundless and unifying.
Notable performances: Rimli and the Surati for Performing Arts company have performed at the United Nations Headquarters, in Washington D.C at The Kennedy Center and The Library of Congress, in New York City at The Lincoln Center, at Incredible India’s Annual Road Show (the Indian Ministry of Tourism), The World Financial Center Wintergarden (now known as Brookfield Place), New York City Hall, The Indian Consulate, for The Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (Indian Ministry of Textiles), in St. Thomas at the University of the U.S Virgin Islands’ Reichhold Center in NJ at the Rutgers University, in Anchorage at the Alaska Performing Arts Center, at Barbados for the University of the West Indies and at the Las Vegas Convention Center (NV).
