Director | Choreographer
VRAJA SUNDARI
Vraja Sundari graduated from the Amsterdamse Hogeschool voor de Kunsten in 2000 and the Codarts Bachelor Dance Department in 2004. At Codarts she received a scholarship for the Jacob’s Pillow Ballet Program 2002 in the US and her choreographic works were performed in Cannes and throughout The Netherlands from 2001 to 2004. During her studies Sundari worked as a dancer and model in Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, France and The Netherlands for G-Star, Levi’s, Moschino and L’Oréal and choreographed for Moschino and Levi’s for several years.
As an intern, she worked for Julio Rivéra in NYC at age 16, Dylan Newcomb/Korzo in collaboration with De Doelen, Glenn van der Hoff at the Holland Dance Festival 2003 and at Ed Wubbe’s Scapino Ballet Rotterdam (2003/2004). At the Scapino Ballet she performed work by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Sasha Steensk and Nanine Linning.
Hereafter Sundari worked for Bruno Listopad/Korzo, Douglas Bateman/MD Kollektiv and Ederson Rodrigues Xavier and collaborated with author Deepak Chopra, composers Surajit Das and Lovro Ravbar and several photographers, cinematographers and fashion designers. In 2005 Sundari presented her first independent works ‘3.3’ and ‘Krodha’ in collaboration with Locus010 in Rotterdam and the Muiderpoorttheater in Amsterdam.
SAMADHI DANCE COMPANY
In 2007 Sundari founded the Samadhi Dance Company in Amsterdam, for which she creates both independent as well as commissioned works. Her works have been warmly received by its audiences, peers and press, with currently over 80.000 followers on Samadhi’s and Sundari’s social media accounts.
In 2012 Sundari’s production Saranágati received the Dutch Dance Audience Award for ‘Favourite Dance Performance of 2011’.
In 2014 Sundari’s work ‘Tusta‘ received two nominations for the Dutch Dance Audience Award in the categories ‘Favourite Dancer of 2013’ and ‘Favourite Dance Performance of 2013‘.
Shortly after SDC became the resident company of Theater de Meervaart in Amsterdam (2014 and 2015) and produced works on a larger scale, such as Samadhi’s double bills titled ‘2FOLD H/Y‘ and ‘2FOLD A/G‘.
In 2016 Sundari’ and her work ‘Hanuman‘ received two nominations for the Dutch Dance Audience Award in the categories ‘Favourite Dancer of 2015’ and ‘Favourite Production of 2015’ and Alexander van der Linden’s photo of ‘Hanuman‘ is titled ‘Dance Photo of the Year’.
Since 2020 Sundari is working closely with Michael Schumacher to develop ways to enliven the global and local dance community in a profound yet playful and sustainable way. Her aim is to bring people, cultures and art genres together in a natural and authentic way.
SUNDARI’S TEACHINGS
Theatrical dance
Vraja Sundari is a dedicated and beloved dance teacher and coach in modern and contemporary dance, classical and modern ballet, modern jazz, repertoire and improvisation/composition since 2004.
Sundari has taught at various professional dance academies in The Netherlands, such as Codarts, Albeda Dans College and the Lucia Marthas Institute for Performing Arts from 2007 to 2017.
From 2011 on Sundari has led the Balletschool Marut Jorquera in Baarn with her two sisters Rasarani and Sarada Sarita. The academy currently counts over 200 students from age two to eighty.
The academy received the Culture Award in both 2013 and 2020 for their valuable and qualitative contribution to the local community.
Holistic dance
Besides theatrical dance Sundari is also specialised in holistic and somatic movement and dance techniques such as the Alexander Technique, Chakra Yoga, Yoga of the Nine Emotions and Mudra Dance to mention a few.
Since 2004 Sundari has specialised in personal (body/mind) coaching for which she works with both dancers and non-dancers, children age 5 up to seniors age 75 and both active professionals as well as injured or disabled dancers and movement lovers.
She was invited to teach and present lectures at the Inner Peace Conference in Amsterdam in 2018, the International Online Yoga Conference by Organic People in Russia and Cintamani Yoga, Samadhi Yoga Firenze and Anukalana Yoga in Florence, Italy.
Sundari currently is a guest teacher at Delight Yoga in Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam, presenting her unique workshop series titled ‘From the Inside Out; the Power of Dance‘.
