Sarada Nori

Sarada Nori, an accomplished Kuchipudi dancer and an exponent of Carnatic classical music . An able puppeteer with over two decades of experience, Sarada blends Kuchipudi with contemporary puppetry which she leverages in workshops and lecture demonstrations on social themes in her community outreach and artistic endeavors.

As the founder and artistic director of Layavinyasa, Sarada has been promoting the ancient dance form of Kuchipudi and Carnatic classical Music since 2010 in the New England region in the U.S. where she currently resides. She has performed at events in India, United states and Mauritius.

Her work has been featured on NBC Connecticut & FOX61 News, highlighting her role in preserving Indian classical arts & sharing them with diverse audiences.  Sarada has been featured by Hartford Foundation as one of the 100 influencers (past and present) who have made a lasting impact on the Greater Hartford community.

In 2017 Sarada and her ensemble were a part of the prestigious International Festival of Arts and Ideas at Newhaven where she premiered the production ‘Prakrthi’ which blended traditional Kuchipudi and contemporary puppetry to advocate environmental protection. Sarada’s major productions include Salt Satyagraha, which depicts the historic Indian salt protests against British colonial rule & draws from Gandhi’s legacy to civil rights movements that inspired Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s principles of nonviolence; Dharani, highlighting climate change; Vijaya, celebrating women’s resilience. She has been recognized for her innovative community programming and is currently featured in a yearlong exhibit titled  ‘Then, Now, Next: 200 Years & Counting’ at the Connecticut Museum of Culture & History until April 2026. She was featured in CMCH Magazine (2021 edition), & is a SNEAP (Southern New England Apprenticeship Program) Awardee. She is also a recipient of the NEFA Dance Fund. Sarada received the  Artists Respond & Artists Fellowship awards from the Connecticut Office of the Arts. Sarada curates a youth music festival each year that invites intergenerational talent in Indian classical music from New England. 

Through Layavinyasa, she provides K–12 arts education, masterclasses at universities such as Yale, UConn, & ECSU, & community outreach at libraries, senior centers, & town festivals. Sarada's work has been funded by Middletown Commission on Arts, Connecticut Historical Society and CT humanities. 

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