What the critics say…

Coverage of “WE SINFUL WOMEN” in:
News India Times
Desi Talk 1 | Desi Talk 2

“However traditional Janaki Patrik’s background may be, she employed a twenty-first century mindset… The entire programme, a successful marriage of East and West, would be a sensation in contemporary India, as it courageously gave that long-overdue, catalyzing shot-in-the-arm to all those attending, even the opinionated die-hards, in the standing audience of young and old shouting, Shabash-Brava Janaki!” Matteo, SRUTI.

“American tap dancing with Kathak…what on earth did they have in common? Quite a bit, it was soon demonstrated in KA-TAP…when the performers appeared together and the result was a harmonious cultural crossover.” Jack Anderson, The New York Times.

“KA-TAP offered a fascinating look at the rhythmic, melodic and visual possibilities inherent in the mingling of Hindu ragas with bebop, tap shuffle steps with ringing ankle bells and patter of bare feet against the floor… Most affecting of all was the finale. The dancers moved in unison, but in their respective styles, to an interweaving of Duke Ellington’s CARAVAN and a similarly bewitching Bengali song. Multiculturalism never had it so good.” Pamela Sommers, The Washington Post.

“NEW YORK DELHI MIX is a fast-paced revue for a cast of tap dancers, Kathak dancers and musicians performing instrumental and vocal music in a variety of Indian, jazz, pop, blues and folk styles…As dance number followed dance number, it was fascinating to compare the forms. Both let the feet do lots of choreographic talking… Before the evening was over, the show came to resemble a party at which everyone started to trade dance steps and partners.” Jack Anderson, The New York Times.

“The evening proved to be an enriching experience, and also a revelation. Two disparate dance forms like Kathak and tap, originating in two different parts of the globe, seemed to synthesize most naturally. The rhythms and the energy were most creative. I am sure the packed audience in the auditorium that evening enjoyed the performance immensely. I certainly did.” Shashi U. Tripathi, Consul General of Indian New York.

“NEW YORK DELHI MIX transported viewers across centuries, countries and cultures in the space of an enchanted evening… Some are inclined to regard classical Indian dancing as being unfriendly to the uninitiated viewer, with its dependence on a vocabulary of gestures and signs closed to those not trained to read them. This impression is dispelled by ‘NEW YORK DELHI MIX’. Nor does Kathak seem to be an intractable medium that defies blending. After seeing ‘NEW YORK DELHI MIX’, one is tempted to use the classical Indian metaphor for the confluence of two streams: Kathak and tap flow into each other as beautifully as the Ganga and Yamuna at Prayag.” Jyotirmoy Datta, Desi Talk, New India Times, NYC