While not being able to fully answer these questions, I felt there was a level of integrity brought about by our commitment to the non-visual experience of dance, simply for ourselves and for the richness of our individual practices. When we stopped trying to 'do this for them' and started 'doing this for us', and being led by our personal investment in challenging the dominance of the visual, things began to feel more authentic, less contrived and more full of possibility.
Read MoreWhat stops me from perceiving my practice and my form in a radically different way, from trying things that may raise eyebrows? Is it even possible to be both a classical dancer and a radical one?
Read MoreIn an age where body positivity is flourishing and the societal pressures (for women, especially) to look a certain way are increasingly acknowledged and refuted, dance still seems to be one arena where perfect beauty continues to be idolised.
Read MoreMy ballet teacher refused to show any sequence more than once, demanding that we try and rebuild the movement purely from what the body might have subconsciously picked up from observation. This seemed ludicrous to me.
Read MoreWhat does it mean to practise bharatanatyam? At the intersection of a sport, an art form, theatre, an inherited culture and a musical tradition, bharatanatyam contains an inherent plurality that doesn't make clear the best approach to practising.
Read MoreI don't own the bharatanatyam that I dance - it's something that I was given a share of by my teachers, and something that's gradually been handed over to me bit by bit, sometimes generously, sometimes cautiously. Until I own it, the teacher owns it, and India always owns it.
Read More I wrote on my conservatory-come-studio window, with my red chalk pen: "Get experience with companies / choreographers."
Read MoreEncountering reality in all its ungratifying glory is the cornerstone to staying sane; for being able to process ‘negative’ emotions and attend to trails of thought long enough to untangle complexity.
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