Reviews
Comments and pull quotes from critics and audiences about Ballet Afsaneh.
Afsaneh remains among the top tier of world dance companies in the Bay Area.
--Alan Ulrich, Voice of Dance 2006
For Sharlyn Sawyer and her Ballet Afsaneh, home called forth places commonly associated with carpets---- Uzbekistan and Bukhara. Her dances from the Silk Road for female ensemble, Persian Suite and Samarkand, were captivating because they seemed rooted, not in a place, but in a transition between the Middle East and China: There was strong emphasis on necks, upper arms, immensely pliable backs, and elaborate finger gestures.
--Rita Feliciano, Dance Magazine
Dancers sweep across the stage, arms linked, barely seeming to touch the floor…..commanding the stage.
--Alan Ulrich, SF Examiner
Ballet Afsaneh's dances celebrate the work of women. In a dance about the rice harvest, they carried large flat circular baskets used to sift rice hulls. In another, they become peris, Persian immortals who bestow enchantment on workaday lives.
--Judith Green , SF Examiner
Exceptionally breathtaking, with grace and wordless poetry.
--Yolanda Reynolds, La Oferta Review
The curving yet restricted musical line, as clearly as the arm and finger movements, derives from the visual motif of vines and tendrils that appears in Moorish art, to which French gave the lovely name of arabesque...
--Judith Green, SF Examiner
---like a glittering Byzantine fairytale--the dance and music calls forth the rich legacy of the Silk Road ----interweaving melodies of flute and drums, the dazzling whirl of dervish spins---
-- Pt. Reyes Light
On behalf of Afghan women and the Afghan community we would like to say thanks so much and we are very appreciative of all of your effort to bring back and promote the Afghan art and culture.
-- Rona Popal, Executive Director of Afghan Women's Association International and the Afghan Coalition
It is always a joy to watch you and Ballet Afsaneh perform, and this Norouz was no exception. Your company's show was beautiful and we all truly appreciate your time in putting it together. I admire your work a great deal for not only its beauty but also for its cultural influence. It is well appreciated by all who see you, that you help keep the Persian arts alive. I wish you the best and much continued success in your work.
--Sincerely, Mrs. Homa Mojgani, and the Persian Zoroastrian Organization
I was fortunate enough to see your Ethnic Dance Festival performance yesterday and wanted to write and say how impressed and moved I was with the performance. It was simply mesmerizing. The costumes were exquisite and the choreography entrancing. The feeling of sisterhood and joy was palpable.On its own, this was a stunning piece. However, considering the recent political events in Afghanistan, your work achieves a rare poignancy and is a triumphant example of how we strive to express through our art that which words cannot adequately convey.
--Amy Luna Manderino
Dear Sharlyn and Ballet Afsaneh,
I've been meaning to send a special thank you to you for your participation in the Encounter Asia Through the Silk Road event for the Asian Art Museum. It was so wonderful to have Persian Culture represented among all the Asian groups at the event. We anticipate that the inauguration of the Persian gallery at the New Asian next year will create many opportunities to showcase Persian Culture, and can't thank you enough for your support.
-- All the best, Tina Moghadam
I attended Caravan of Dreams, my first performance of Ballet Afsaneh and when it was over I wanted them to start at the beginning and do it all again. It was absolutely enchanting, I was mesmerized from start to finish. I was especially captivated by Aliah Najmabadi in the Peacock Dance, she was breathtakingly stunning. The dance by Vishnu Tattva Das was very entertaining as well. The costumes were so beautiful and the dances so elegant. I have never before enjoyed a performance as much as Ballet Afsaneh and I am looking forward to the next one, hoping it will be very soon.
--Lorie Shannon
I went to your November Performance in San Jose and I just loved it... It was one of the most beautiful visual arts I had ever seen. I was wondering if you will have any performances soon? Please update me.
Thank you for your hard work,
--Talieh Shahrokhi