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Performances

Devi Bollywood Performing Arts was founded in 2013 by Gaitrie Subryan. It is rooted in dance forms from India Classical Dance, Folk Dance, and Bollywood Dance with an artistic blend of Western dance forms. This unique combination, with a focus on footwork, abhinaya (facial expressions) and fluidity of movements that come from Indian dance, have made their work stand out. Devi Bollywood Performing Arts mission is to build strong communities, celebrate diversity, and foster inclusion through dance. The troupe engages in a collaborative practice with myriad artists and aesthetics from all backgrounds, music and dance can transcend boundaries and build community with individuals from all backgrounds. They have performed at Shea’s Theater, Ujima Theater and have taken part in festivals and events in the Western New York area such as Elmwood Festival of the Arts, Buffalo without Borders, Dance Days of Buffalo, Taste of Diversity and many more. Each performer within the troupe is dedicated to their craft, teaching at various studios, offering master workshops, performing and choreographing for other dance troupes in the area, all of which uplift their performances when they are together on stage. Devi Bollywood Performing Arts strives to educate, entertain and inspire individuals from all backgrounds and of all ages to promote their mission and to make this dance form accessible to all. We have presented our showcases at local venues such as: Ujima Theater, Shea’s Smith Theater, Babeville, The Burchfield Penny, and Albright Knox.

Upcoming Performances

Devi Bollywood Performing Arts Presents

"Find Your Beat"

What can a young immigrant girl who was raised in the Bronx know about Indian dance culture? In searching for the answer, choreographer, and performer Gaitrie Subryan, takes us on a journey tracing her ancestors’ voyage from Bihar, India to Guyana, South America. With her untamed passion for Bollywood, Afro-Caribbean dance, and Indian Classical dance styles Bharatanatyam and Kathak, she discovers that her ancestors’ stories reside in her body and have paved the path to find her beat.

Cast and Crew

Artistic Director and Producer: Gaitrie Subryan

Creative Consultant: Victoria Perez

Choreographers: Gaitrie Subryan in collaboration with SatyaVani Akula, Sukanya Burman, Cortney Costanzo, Jayeeta Dutta, Holli Simme, Megan Rakeepile, and Nitya Vedantam

Performers: SatyaVani Akula, Sukanya Burman, Jacquie Cherry, Cortney Costanzo, Tonya Davis, Isabella Guerrucci, Jonise Hall, Dana Harris, Anika Pace, Ravi Padmanabha, Natasha Perkins, Megan Rakeepile, Holli Simme, Gaitrie Subryan, Zhanna Zhelre, accompanied with live drumming by Baba Ysa, Dev, Marlo, Marvin, Taharka. 

Lighting Designer: Devon Hard

*This production is supported by Shea’s Smith Theatre through the Arts Engagement and Education Department and by the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) Statewide Community Regrant (SCR) program

Tickets can be purchased through ticketmaster! 

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Meet the Troupe

Cortney Costanzo
Cortney is a Buffalo-based entertainer and can be found studying and performing with various ensembles throughout Western New York. Cortney received the bulk of her dance training at Miss. Bev’s Dance Studio in Niagara Falls. As a competitive dancer, she has received many accolades including the “Triple Threat” award at The Kiwanis Dance Competition in 2005. In 2003, she and some of her closest dance friends were selected to be members of the Footloose Dance Competition’s Xtreme Dance Team where they traveled to the Bahamas to learn from choreographer Mandy Moore. Her post-High School studies took her to The College at Brockport where she auditioned and became a member and Captain of the Brockport Dance Team.
 
After graduating with her Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics Education she attended Buffalo State College to complete her Master’s Degree in Educational Technology. She currently teaches High School Math at Williamsville East High School where she is the Class of 2020 adviser and, the adviser and, director for the Williamsville East High School Band Against Bullying performance team, which has won three consecutive first place titles under her direction.
Cortney is also involved in many performance groups around the Buffalo area. She currently performs with Devi Bollywood Performing Arts and Buffalo Aerial Dance at local events and festivals. She is a standing board member of Dance Day of Buffalo and was the host of their “Tidings of Tap” fundraiser held in December 2017. When she isn’t dancing, she is likely singing. She lends her voice to many groups and ensembles such as The Derek Mediak Band, The Bees Knees, The Steve Balesteri Band (Uptown Sound), The Lewiston Choraleers, and individuals Zach Carr and Sara Rogers. She is also a former member of Harmonia Chamber Singers, Buffalo Philharmonic Choir and The Foxy Diamondz. Cortney has had the opportunity to perform at some of the most exciting events Buffalo has to offer such as The World’s Largest Disco, First Night Buffalo, The Witches Ball, Buffalo Goes Gatsby, The Steampunk Festival, Nicola Tesla Festival, The Erie County Fair, Elmwood Arts Festival and Jim Kelly’s Kelly for Kids Fundraiser just to name a few. To follow Cortney’s events feel free to check out her website CortneyChyme.com Her singing and dancing background lend nicely to Cortney’s work as an actor performing with local filming groups for short independent films, music videos, and the annual Buffalo 48-Hour Film Project. She can be seen as a live Disney princess actor for children’s Birthday parties with A Dream Is A Wish Entertainment. You may have also seen her online in a Buffalo Bills Parody Video, “Christmas Lights” music video by Nate Cronk or a NOCO commercial that was aired on Channel 2 WGRZ this past year. When Cortney isn’t performing, she is lending her immeasurable skills, and experience as a dance teacher at Adell’s School of Dance, and as a performance coach for the award winning Matt’s Music Vocal Performance Competition team. Shelly Chaudhary Vignesh was Born and raised in India. Though not formally trained in Indian Classical Dance she was exposed to the various traditional dance forms, including Bollywood, Folk, Garba and Rajasthani dance. Shelly has choreographed and performed for various cultural events in the Sri Lankan community here in Buffalo, NY. She believes that dance is very lyrical and a way of expressing oneself. “When I move I desire to feel something that cannot be expressed through words”.
Tonya Davis
Tonya’s previous performance experience began in vocal music. She sang for four years in the Hobart and William Smith Colleges Chorale and Cantori during which she had the opportunity to perform in tours to Boston, New York City, and Washington, D.C. After college, she sang with the Orchard Park Chorale and the Buffalo Choral Arts Society. In 2010, Tonya discovered bellydance when she began taking classes and performing as a student of The Bellydance Academy. She was a member of The Fleuron Rouge Bellydance troupe and performed at events and festivals throughout Western New York. She continues to study bellydance and has taken workshops from celebrated performers such as Jill Parker, Zoe Jakes, and many others. In 2014, Tonya began taking Bollywood classes from Gaitrie at Devi Bollywood Performing Arts and also fell in love with this dance form. She is happy to be a member of Devi Bollywood Performing Arts and is always looking forward to the next performance.
Holli Simme

Buffalo-based entertainer Holli began her dance journey at the age of three at Barb Denny’s Studio of Dance Arts.  She studied various styles including tap, jazz, ballet, modern, hip-hop, and musical theater. After graduating high school, Holli continued her education in dance at University at Buffalo where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2014. While in school she was fortunate to learn much from her professors, and took residencies and master classes such as Lehrer dance, Limon Dance Company, Pilobolus, River North Dance Chicago, and Doug Varone and Dancers. She was also a member of the Zodiaque Dance Company, Zodiaque Dance Ensemble, and performed in Dancer’s Workshop and Digital Poetry and Dancers.

Holli began performing with Devi Bollywood Performing Arts in 2017 after taking class with Gaitrie at local dance festival Dance Days of Buffalo. She also currently performs with Showstarters Entertainment, and can be seen as a live Disney princess actor for A Dream Is A Wish Entertainment. Along with dance and character work, Holli also has been practicing fire spinning for the past three years. Other past performances include work with Shakespeare in Delaware Park, Torn Space Theater, The Bird’s Nest Circus Arts, Foxy Diamondz, and the Slyboots Circus.

For the past eleven years, Holli has been teaching dance and is currently an instructor at Barb Denny’s Studio of Dance Arts and Performing Arts Dance Academy. Her dance and choreography has even taken her around the world to Dalian, China, where she taught abroad at Rainbow Painting Arts Theater in 2018. After returning home from China, Holli went back to school and received her Certificate of Massage from Trocaire College in 2020. She is now a licensed massage therapist in the State of New York and runs her practice at Tupelo Honey Spa in Elma, New York.

Natasha Perkins
Dancer, choreographer, teacher, community artist; Natasha began her dance journey and training taking master classes and workshops with Garth Fagan, The Urban Bush Women and Forces of Nature Dance Company. While attending Buffalo State College, Natasha earned her Minor in Performing Arts; performed and toured for the Buffalo State College Dance Theater Department. As a full scholarship recipient at the American Dance Festival (ADF), she performed with noted choreographers Ronald K. Brown and Paul Taylor while also being trained by Master Teacher Cornelius Carter. Natasha has appeared several times in the Jazz World Dance Congress and International Dance Festival (NYC). Her professional dance career includes dance and instruction with Janet Reed and Dancers and Buffalo City Ballet. Based in Buffalo, N.Y., Natasha’s Love for the Art of Dance formed her own company “La Mezcla Dance”; solo and collaborative work presented in festivals and venues in the United States. Currently, Natasha performs with various individual choreographers and companies in Buffalo, N.Y
Krystal Wildman
Born and raised in Buffalo, Krystal has trained in a variety of dance styles including jazz, tap, and contemporary. After dancing with a contemporary troupe for two years, she began performing with Devi Bollywood in 2017. Although not originally trained in Indian dance, she eagerly took on a new style and loves immersing herself in another culture. When not performing, Krystal is a full-time student at Buffalo State College. She is enrolled in their Early Childhood and Childhood Education program and will be graduating with honors in May 2022. She will be continuing her education in the summer of 2022 to complete her master’s program in education. She hopes to share her love for movement and culture within her future classrooms.

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Devi Studios Location:
3200 Elmwood Ave, Room 122

Contact Information:
info@devibollywooddance.com
716-604-5806
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