I loved your piece. It was like watching a beautiful translation and directed interpretation of an epic narrative and traditional form. You created a common vocabulary which is universal and meaningful. It reminded me of why I love making art. I was deeply moved. Thank you.
Yayoi Kambara, ODC company dancer
...if you can dance like that, you don't need anything else in your life!!
SSB
I remember that to see you dance was one of the most magical times, with the flash of your eyes, that of a spirit, almost more than could be from a single person - like connections through generations of dancers and spirits and rhythms to a world I had hardly even imagined yet instantly recognized. I feel that time was a glimpse into the inner world that you create/enter with dance...this gift you have and give is the highest and most noble purpose for your existence at this time...even if no-one was to see you dance, somehow there is a link through this energy to all those who are open to it.
Neil Eggleston
Jaysi and her musician-friends have created a fine sushi, and yet, selling it like an ordinary fish. I do not think anybody who has not seen the show really understands the positioning and meaning of the show. It is far beyond JAC (just another concert) in a SUH (small unknown hall). This is a pathway to involve our kids in OUR culture--No overtone of Eastern or Western culture, just OUR culture. A fine mix of poetic interpretation and full of positive energy. Pragya was so impressed watching the show. She wants to calls several of her friends to the proposed show. We want our friends to watch it too. Life is too short to plan such thing in a formal way, let this expression happen in the South Bay on an asap-basis. This is what I feel, and speak my heart out loud.
Sanjay Mathur
... 'Lamps on Lilypads' - it was AMAZING!!! This is the second time I've made it out all semester and once again it is to see a dear friend perform, and it was worth the outing. Jaysi is SOOO talented! With heart and soul, experimenting bringing Indian classical dance and storytelling, and romancing it with themes of success and self, challenging these notions, speaking to social justice, to love and a tribute to all the great teachers that have come before. Choreographing dance to her poetry, to Mexican and Indian influences and to EE Cummings. Jaysi is a student of Chitresh Das, Ali Akbar Khan and Swapan Choudhri. She plays tabla, dances Kathak, sings and plays laughter, brings laughter. I'm going to skip a class to see the performance again! VERY INSPIRING!!!!!!
Simmi
I was just remembering a conversation I once had with an Indian friend of mine who was telling me about how Indian actors and actresses necessarily were also singers and dancers. I was just thinking about that conversation because seeing you perform helped me to begin to understand that intriguing concept. Here you were praying, dancing, singing, reading poetry, creating laughter and tears, acting yet living, storytelling, playing tabla, and more, integrating the body within itself and without itself, encompassing the audience, meshing the fabric of tradition with the essence of the modern moment, all in the transcending name of Love. It's very amazing what the human being can do, and there you were showing just all that. What a feat! Congratulations!
AT
I just wanted to congratulate you on the most awesome performance ever by a single individual that I’ve ever seen. I was really in awe, and it was just so beautiful...I thought you were just fantastic! It should be taken on a worldwide tour.
Masae Kawamura
Lamps on Lilypads is a conscientious and dedicated effort by a group of extremely talented performing artists, expressing their spirit of love, compassion and humility. For one of the artists, it is the joyous liberation of soul.
Raju Nadimpalli
a unique fusion of traditional Indian classical dance forms with poetry, and song, this performance will invoke deep emotions in you, and leave you with feelings of contentment, peace, and unbounded love. The performance is dramatic, fast-paced, engaging, and will touch your heart, mind, and soul alike no matter who you are, from what background, and what orientation.
Vinay Chaudhri
Namaste, Salaam and all the other greetings of the universe. I want to thank and congratulate you on a most delightful and magnificent performance on Sunday evening. Frankly, your performance with the message of peace, love, true success really uplifted my spirits and gave me a sense of joy. Also, for the first time I really understood something about kathak dance. Please continue to manifest the great treasure of your spirit and heart through your performances I believe you have a great mission in this regard. I will attend your next performance in the Bay Area. I remain your fan...
Virender Goswami
Your performance was so beautiful. I found the times you sang particularly moving and by the end... I had tears streaming down my cheeks. Never stop dancing.
Sue Rintoul
I was at the Chatauqua performance at OAEC and enjoyed your performance very much. It spoke to me on many levels - such a unique combination of varied forms and styles, with your bright spirit integrating it all into one beautiful show and carrying it straight to the heart!....As a dancer and musician, I'm curious too, about the dance form. Something like tap dancing, but seeming more eastern, using such nicely syncopated steps...Mainly, I would like to know if you are performing Lamps on Lilypads anywhere right now, because I would like to introduce some of my friends to your work.
Jean Redus, Dancer and Musician Graton, California
I want to thank you for sharing your beautiful spirit, vision and precision with the world this weekend. Your performance was simply mind blowing! Thank you for working so hard to share your collaboration with such talents as Wallace, Ben and that phenomenal tabla player. I felt honored to be there...
With love and gratitude,
Avesa
Any artist must break through bonds of convention and oppression.....(and) the world loved it. You should have heard everyone raving about you.
AT
excellent show! i enjoyed it very much. i'm sure everyone's told you this already, but i'll say it again anyway... you are an amazing dancer and performer, you engaged the audiences so well. i felt that every part of you are communicating and active and alive. together with the live music, and it's been a truly wonderful experience. i'm so glad that i went. hope to see you dance again soon...
rengie chan
We absolutely loved your show yesterday!!! It was such an excellent performance. We were all so moved.
Geeta
...your performance was so moving, you are a supernatural being that I am in awe of. How lucky am I to know you. That it was you up there being super girl with a wide open heart for all living beings just made it such a special night...I loved your show. It was totally amazing. I have nothing but superlatives for you.
Chris Fink
It was so so SO great to see you perform last night. It would have been great to just see you, but to see you in your element and doing what you love, WOW. It was very inspiring. You are one multi-talented lady. I have always found you beautiful in the most comprehensive of sense, and yet last night, you were the most beautiful I have ever seen you. Man, it really was a pure delight...it really was super great to watch you and learn from you last night.
With much love,
Claudette
I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed the performance. I think you could do for Indian dance what River Dance did for the Irish Celtic type of dancing. You were radiant and the good vibes were felt by everyone attending.
Jo Floyd
Your show was absolutely fantastic. I really enjoyed it. It really surpassed my expectations. I’m really glad you did a wonderful show.
Jaime Law
I really want to congratulate you on your show and tell you what an absolute delight it was to see it. It was really joyful and uplifting. Even the serious parts were uplifting in their own beautiful way.
Adrienne Kane
...I do find you’re are a great dancer and singer and artist...I thought you were first of all a tabla player and were dancing as a hobby so I was surprised to see how beautifully you danced...And your songs haunted me for days, Really It was beautiful.... I really had not felt that happy and inspired for a long time. You were radiant, graceful and powerful at the same time, blessing us with something beyound words, something coming from your deep heart, I was really moved and Mansur also. I must say I did not think you were such an accomplished dancer and writer and singer, you were just what an artist has to be, a true artist, giving words and reality to our feelings, creating this community of hearts and letting our emotions flow through your body and words. I loved every part of it, it was like a dream. Thanks Jaysi for this courageous undertaking. I can imagine how much work it has been. I can't wait to see you another time. A lily, this big white flower that was on your temple, flowered in my garden, reminded me of you.
Lots of love.
Sabrina
Your dancing is incredible. I would very much like to see your next performance, perhaps with my daughter Nola, and would even consider travelling to do so.
Bruce Barrett
I just wanted to let you know how great the performance was and how good it was to see you so happy in Minnesota. I knew the performance would be great, but I didn't know how great. I'm so impressed with how reflective it was of who you are, what you believe in, what you've been through, and what you hope for others. It was so full of optimism, compassion, humor, fun, and love. I loved it (and the costumes).
Joan Griffin
Jaysi, thank you for the performance. You seem limitless - dancing, poetry, speaking insight... I concur with Gil - you're amazing. I also enjoyed your musicians. One of my favorite parts was your vocal duet with Wallace...
Debbie Davis
Thank you so much for your performance tonight. It was BEAUTIFUL, and inspiring. I was completely awed by what you do and am so glad Kathryn could see it too. It is something she will remember.
Judy Anderson
It's been nearly a month and a half since you graced us with your performance of Lamps on Lilypads here in Madison (WI). And yet the inspiration continues...thank-you for the inspiration. Your Art has affected me ... and others too. Please do continue ;~)
Shanti,
Andrew Wilke
Wonderful performance ... gotta say. Clever, inventive, in a very personal way. One of the most intriguing moves or poses was when your back was to us -arched, articulated in a very expressive way. Never seen anything quite like it. Nice.
Hope you will revive the show elsewhere and/or in the future.
Cheers,
Jerome
Please thank Ben, Wallace and Tim once again for your wonderful performance here last night. It is always my pleasure to bring performers to our small town that can bridge the gap to the rest of the world. I'm especially pleased that so many families brought their young children who were all so attentive to what was undoubtedly a new and very different art form for them. It is always good for people to open the door to something new but I think it is especially powerful for young children. As I danced to Zakir Hussein playing tabla and tar on the Mondo Head album by Kodo, I thought of all of you playing and dancing love and understanding into our midwestern hearts. Travel in peace and joy.
Light and Life, Love and Laughter,
Eric Norton, Head of Children’s Services, McMillan Memorial Library
I wanted to share with you how much I enjoyed Lamps on Lilypads Saturday at Bhaskar's. I was so glad you were able to travel to Folsom to share your incredible art with us. I wanted to tell you this after the show, but I was feeling shy and I am never sure whether artists want to be bombarded by fans post-show. I was deeply moved and inspired by the progression of the music and dance - especially ending with love. The rest of the day, I felt so uplifted from my personal burdens - and I am grateful for having a moment of inner peace without all of the daily stuff clouding my vision. Anyway, I hope you understand how you touch people's lives by being the beautiful people you are - your talents are a catalyst for your audiences in ways you may not ever see. I truly appreciate the fusion aspect of the show: the contemporary piece (forgot the song! - by the Bengals? uh, no I don't think that was it..), the Spanish song- and the poetry in addition to the already phenomenal Classical Indian music and dance. This is what I found so RICH about the show - the versatility to incorporate different sounds and dances from other cultures - and it melted in so well. Brilliant! I appreciated that you took the time to explain what is happening in the music (the framework of music/speech ..end on sum, for instance..) - I find I enjoy performance more when when everything isn't a complete mystery. This was the first time I have seen Kathak dance (I study Bharat Natyam and Odissi with Meena) and I LO-OVE it! Oh how beautiful and alive the music, dance, song/story were together. Since I hadn't been seen a Kathak performance, I wasn't sure what was appropriate behavior from the audience. I wanted to laugh out loud, cheer/clap, and cry - but felt unsure whether I was supposed to be quiet.. so I was silent. I hope you had a good time - again, thank you for sharing this beautiful show!!
Have a wonderful day.
With love and joy,
Shawna
Last nite's performance was fabulous. You are a special performer--your joy and love are contagious--there's probably a better word--that sounds like a diagnosis instead of flattery. Anyway as you've probably seen I sent a review... to my email lists.
'Lindy and I saw it last night for the second time and Jaysi is extraordinary. I hope it doesn't sound like a lot of new agey-ness to say that she filled old Open Secret with energy, emotion, devotion, and love. I am totally impressed...Lindy and I saw her perform about 6 months ago and it was one of the most moving, spirited bits of performance I've ever seen'
Victor
What a fascinating program it was! I went to the Indian music and dance performance in Madison on Saturday which was incredibly inspiring and enriching. The music and dance performances were extraordinary and the atmosphere was wonderful. There was so much talent in such a friendly, personal and warm setting and such an amazing diversity in the program. I am so glad you told me about the performance and I hope Hans and Theron had a chance to see it.Thanks again and many good wishes
Heidi
I see skies of blue, And clouds of white. The bright blessed day , and the dark sacred night--And I think to myself: What a wonderful world. I don't know the name of the dancer/singer/actress who was with the Indian group (Jaisi?...). Anyway, show was wonderful. Earthy, dramatic, sometimes really powerful. She sang the above song at the end of the program--and of all things, I ran across it in a book I'm reading! We both really enjoyed the program. Marni can certainly be proud of her...Ben was very very good...Jaysi did a fine Spanish bit too--she was truly fine. Maybe it was that she BELIEVED in what she was doing?
Love,
Theron
Dear Jaysi, Thank you for sharing what you endured after the dance production. I support you 100%, what you created has helped in raising awareness of the depth, spirituality, and beauty of classical Indian dance and music. You did a magnificent job! The musicians were amazing too; really all aspects of production were very professional and thorough.
Robin Sukhadia
I haven’t told you how much I enjoyed it, how original, fresh, and beautiful I think it is.
Vidhu Singh
Thanks for dancing for us, when you put that show on, everybody left there with something...a really good feeling. The girl next to me wept. I had a lump in my throat...Everyone left with something. It was a really good message and it was really good...You got into a little trouble but you gave us all something. It was cool.