Sukanya Burman

🪔 About

Sukanya Burman is an accomplished Indian classical and contemporary dancer, choreographer, and arts leader, born and raised in Kolkata, India. She began her formal dance training in Bharatanatyam at the age of three under Smt. Molly Roy, and later earned an Advanced Diploma from Kalamandalam Calcutta between 1999 and 2005. Her training also encompasses Kathak, which she studied under the guidance of Dr. Mitul Sengupta and at Rhythmosaic Dance Company in Kolkata from 2011 to 2013. Additionally, she holds a Diploma in Contemporary Dance and Movement Arts from Rhythmosaic Dance Company (2011-2013) and is an alumna of the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance, where she completed an Independent Training Program from 2013 to 2014. Burman has performed nationally and internationally, notably touring Denmark, Sweden, Belarus, and Russia with Rhythmosaic Dance Company in 2012, including a performance at Det Kongelige Teater in Denmark. She is the founder and Artistic Director of Sukanya Burman Dance, a US-based 501(c)(3) contemporary dance company located in Jamestown, NY, established in 2023. The company aims to bridge Western modern and Indian classical dance, exploring socio-cultural discourse through movement. Sukanya Burman is recognized as the first South Asian member of NYS DanceForce, a partner of the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA). She is also a sought-after teaching artist, offering private lessons and conducting workshops and lectures at various institutions. Awards & Honours: NYS Choreographer's Initiative Grant (2022), Jacob's Pillow Curriculum in Motion Artist (2021), Support for Artists in Folk and Traditional Arts for "The Bayadere" (2023), YWCA Jamestown Women of Achievement for the Power the Future Award (2023), HueArts NYS Leadership Cohort (2024), Support for Individual Artist (to develop new choreographic work) (2025), Program of the Year award (2024), Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation Arts & Culture Initiative Capacity Building + General Operating Grant (2025), AAPI Community Development Fund (2025), Creative Impact Fund Award for Chaturanga: Art in Flux (2025), United Arts Appeal grant (2018).