As I look back on 2025, what rises most strongly is not just what we accomplished, but how we moved through this year- together, with courage, care, and an unwavering commitment to our art. This year asked much of us. It asked for adaptability, patience, and deep listening- to our bodies, to each other, and to the times we are living in. And yet, time and again, Sampradaya responded with integrity, imagination, and quiet resilience.

From the very beginning of the year, our studios and rehearsal spaces were alive with inquiry and rigour- new ideas being tested, classical foundations being revisited, and contemporary questions being held with honesty. Our dancers, collaborators, musicians, designers and administrators showed up not just with skill, but with heart.

One of the most meaningful moments of 2025 was The Festival of Time, which offered us a rare and necessary pause. In acknowledging and celebrating senior artists whose lives and practices have shaped the ecology of Indian dance in Canada and beyond, the festival, held in partnership with ANANDAM dance theatre, became an act of gratitude and lineage. It reminded us that time is not something we simply move through- it is something we carry within our bodies, our memories, and our art.

This year also marked an important strengthening of MOMENTUM, which continues to grow into a more robust and confident biennale festival in Mississauga. MOMENTUM has evolved as a vital platform for dialogue, risk-taking, and contemporary South Asian expression- bringing artists, audiences, and ideas into conversation with one another. Watching it take deeper root within the city’s cultural landscape has been deeply affirming, reinforcing Sampradaya’s long-standing commitment to creating spaces where tradition and innovation meet with curiosity and courage.

A moment of profound reflection and responsibility came through the 40th anniversary of Air India, marked by our presentation of Children of Air India. Through restraint, tenderness, and quiet witnessing, Children of Air India became an offering of remembrance- affirming the power of dance to hold difficult histories with dignity and care, and to ensure that such stories are neither forgotten nor simplified.

A defining artistic milestone of the year was the Toronto premiere of KINTSUGI- our first major new work to premiere in the city after many years. Bringing this deeply personal and formally distinctive work to Toronto felt both like a homecoming and a renewal. The premiere marked the culmination of long, patient inquiry and deep trust- between artists, collaborators, and process- and its reception affirmed the quiet power of vulnerability, restraint, and honesty in performance.

What followed was extraordinary. KINTSUGI took on a life well beyond its premiere, travelling across cities and international borders alongside our repertoire Bharatanatyam work VIVARTA. To witness these works tour, resonate, and evolve with each performance was deeply moving. The journey reminded us why we do what we do: to build bridges, to honour lineage, and to allow dance to speak where words sometimes cannot. The tour was not without its challenges but those very challenges revealed the resilience, generosity, and adaptability of our artists and team.

As we close 2025, I feel a profound sense of gratitude. I remain deeply grateful to our administrative team and board for holding the organization with such care, foresight, and steadiness. Most of all, I want to acknowledge the artists. Your trust, discipline, vulnerability, and willingness to take risks are the soul of Sampradaya. Thank you to our audiences, presenters, funders, donors, collaborators, and community for walking alongside us.

We move forward into the coming year enriched - carrying our cracks with gold, and

our stories with purpose.

With warmth & gratitude

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Suma Suresh

Artistic Director

Sampradaya Dance Creations