Q&A: Mudras in movement

What is dancing to you?
It is my soul in motion, a moving prayer, a dissolving into the cosmic and mystical planes that can only be touched in true surrender and letting go of the known, the tangible. It is my life source.

Your first tryst with Bharatanatyam?
I remember watching a performance and knowing I wanted to do that. My mother finally found me my dance guru, when I was six, It’s been an enduring love affair, even reigned me back in after a long decade of separation. Am really grateful for this gift.

What are you working on currently?
It has been my heart’s longing to bring Sanskrit Indian texts into expression on a contemporary stage. Combining my experience and skills in theatre and dance, I seek to explore the narratives in unique ways and share the infinite, timeless wisdom and beauty of our heritage and culture.  On my table right now are the Upanishads, verses from the Gitagovinda and an English play that I have been working on for a while. 

If you were to collaborate with one dancer, who would it be and why?
Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. His work is poetry in motion and moves my heart as he is breathtaking. He is a master storyteller through movement. Closer home, it will be Ratan Thiyam.

How would you describe what you do to a child?
I am your magic storyteller,  you will ride on the moon to meet the gods and fly over the oceans and laugh when you move with me  You will bottle the stars and take them home, all you have to do is sit quietly, watch and believe in magic. 

Pineapples on pizza? Yay or nay?
Yikes nayyyyyyyyy!! Fruit n wheat and cheese ... yikes nooooo!

If you had the chance to have a conversation with a fictional literary character? Who would it be?
HARRY POTTER. We would have a laugh about Muggles. A ride on the broom would be fun too, some shopping for extendable ears and magic wands, plants and potions.

The first thing you would do if you had the power of invisibility?
I will travel the world and go everywhere, from the cherry blossoms of Japan, to the Amazon jungles and shape shift. Our natural resources need to be protected and invisibility would be a great power to protect the rivers , forests, oceans and our cities in India. You make me wish this was possibleJ

Your biggest pet peeve?
Bottled mineral water in plastic bottles, fast fashion, processed food, snap chat and selfies, need for instant gratification, paid for award ceremonies, apathy of our citizenry, people on raw food diets who are angry, and people out to destroy the environment for personal gain.

A meal you can eat for the rest of your life?
A vegetarian South Indian Ayurveda based meal of organic grains, vegetables and spices, cooked on a wood fire and served on a Banana leaf. It is bliss.