She's Auspicious 2021 - Refinement

When I was younger learning dance, I had this obsession with my movements being “perfect.” My turnout is physiologically not great, I don’t have long arms, I’m not naturally flexible. Overall I never had the “body of a dancer.”

She's Auspicious 2021 - Real

I made the following post on social Media in April 2020, and it was interesting to look back on it in August 2021, and see how consistent it has stayed with my exploration of She’s Auspicious.

She's Auspicious 2021 - Purity

What began as an exploration of the dichotomy between worship of the Goddess set against society where the woman is objectified and marginalized, has now deepened into a questioning of my own notions of femininity – shaped by the art form that I practice, the culture of my heritage as well as my environment, and my lived and observed experiences as a woman.

She's Auspicious 2021 - Introduction

If you are reading this, you are on this journey with me. The piece and process that I will be writing about here is centered around my current piece in development: She’s Auspicious.
The Dichotomy of The Goddess

Dichotomy of the Goddess - 2018

There is a dichotomy to life that makes it so intriguing. Dichotomy…

Sanctuaries 2016; part 4 - after a break!!

I write this blog entry after completion of the performance. It was not intended to be that way but…..sometimes dancing gets in the way of writing! There was a break in my choreographic process as I was performing another production, Jwala. And the way it has happened, with every performance of Jwala, I’m working with a...

Sanctuaries 2016; part 3 - embodying the oppressed

Before I had set the choreography, I just played the music and improvised to it. Aditya has set an evocative Abheri melody for the mice who are brought into the lab and observing the pain and torture around them. As I danced it, my body trembled the way a frightened mouse would.

Sanctuaries 2016; part 2 - beginning choreography

The challenge in this piece is in both embodying the characters (most of whom are animals), and also in communicating what they represent. The piece opens with the “dance of the Scientist.” In creating this, I have to ask myself the following questions: what are the associations with scientist?

Sanctuaries 2016; part 1 - the creative process

The creative process feels strangely like dealing with my kid. Sometimes, when things are in flow – it feels magical and you want to jump for joy and show someone all the exciting discoveries. Other times, it is so frustrating you just want to scream loudly “I QUIT” and then binge watch TV undisturbed with a large bag of potato chips.