Rimli Roy of Surati receives prestigious New Jersey arts award

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Founder and Artistic Director of Surati for the Performing Arts, Rimli Roy, was recently awarded the New Jersey State Council on the Arts 2024 Individual Artist Fellowship.

Roy is a recipient in the Interdisciplinary category which uses two or more artistic forms from the categories listed for this award in alternate years. She previously received the Folk Arts Apprenticeship award from the NJSCA and the Sunshine Award in 2023.

“The New Jersey State Council on the Arts is pleased to share the exciting news that you are among 76 artists selected from 692 eligible applicants in six artistic disciplines to be awarded a 2024 Individual Artist Fellowship,” the letter from NJSCA said, excerpts of which were sent to Desi Talk by Surati.

“Your work was reviewed by a panel of peers working in your field, and they evaluated it to be of very high artistic quality,” the NJSCA added. Roy will be awarded a monetary amount “in recognition of the outstanding work you are doing and in the hope that it will enable you to further your artistic goals.”

Roy is an artiste, dancer, choreographer, producer, director, and actor, originally from Kolkata, who has been immersed in classical Indian dance forms like Odissi, Bharatnatyam, Manipuri under renowned gurus of India, from a very young age.

Alongside, she also learned Western classical pianoforte under the tutelage of the Trinity College of Music, London as well as Indian Classical music (Hindustani vocals and harmonium).

According to a press release from Surati, some of the significant milestones in her journey are the creation of productions like “Glimpses of India” and “Ramaavan – A Musical,” that blend genres from the East and the West.

Roy has performed at 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, among other venues.

Beyond her performances, teaches budding dancers and collaborates with tri-state organizations to encourage diversity and inclusivity.