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means
determination or will and signifies the constant striving for
perfection that I am engaged in as an artist and as a teacher.
Every moment when I dance, I feel truly alive.
My mind creates and recreates emotional responses, while my
limbs move through space arching for perfect synchronization.
And through it all, I delve into the depths of my being,
testing every fiber of my mental and physical strength.
Dance, to me, is as much a journey outwards as I reach out to
the audience members, as it is about me learning about myself.
The art form of Bharatanatyam is a highly
communicative art, blending beautifully to express modern ideas
within a traditional framework. Whether it is a modern day poem that talks about nurturing
the environment, or whether it is a 19th century poem on a lovelorn
maiden, the dance form comes alive with incredible elasticity,
supplying appropriate gestures and facial expressions that help
create powerful impressions in the audience.
I
choreograph and present traditional dance programs where
several themes are dealt with in a given program. I
also love doing theme-based work where I research, choose
songs, and choreograph the pieces for presentation.
Keeping
alive traditions within the art form is important to me.
Having trained under great Gurus myself, I constantly feel a
responsibility to cultivate a love for this art form in my students,
setting high standards for them all the time. I focus on
teaching my students good technique and an overall sound framework
for understanding and performing abhinaya, the art of facial
expression.
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As
I teach this dance form in America, I find myself conveying Indian
traditions and beliefs to my students, providing them a context
through which they can understand the particulars of the song and
the meaning that they are asked to convey. Teaching
re-validates my passion and love for dance every single day.
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