‘In a time where we have learnt that true love starts with ourselves – must the nayika only wait for her beloved Swami? What if she could also value herself, define boundaries and stay at the top of her priority list!

‘Dancing to Her Own Tune’ ~ a varnam for the nayika in her self-worth era ✨ An interactive piece with a kickass all-women cast of live musicians’

If this text introducing the Bharatanatyam recital captured my mind,

The flyer (below) had me in rapt attention.

There was something beautiful that I could feel,

When I read the text and saw the flyer.

I was all set to go for the program.

If this blog is in a poetic format,

credit it to experiencing the emotions this Bharatnatyam recital ‘Dancing to her own tune’ evoked,

Whoa!!! Did this recital have me gripped!!

The first few minutes made me wonder why and who the dancer was waiting for,

because she kept looking at the audience,

which made me also look behind to see who she was looking for.

The musicians who danced (oops, played) to her tune (no pun intended :-)),

looked as though impatient, but smilingly so.

The audience though had some patient and some not appearing so,

but they also seemed to be waiting.

Choiceless wait? 🙂

wait wait wait!!

this waiting that was a part of the recital, which I realised after I returned home,

Oops!! Slow on the uptake certainly.

There was an energy on the stage,

was it because it was an all-women cast? (the feminist in me saying this:-))

was it because it was a group of younger women?

was it because of what the recital may signify?

It perhaps is a combination of all three.

One song, a single dance piece and one that seamlessly flowed thru the one hour recital,

a concept that I could so so relate to.

It was so relatable that at times it brought a smile in me,

at other times a few tears,

as the dancer was dancing and emoting, I too went down my memory lane

and watched the dancer, myself and many others I have seen and observed.

The witness in me…

As the dancer evolved to realise her self-worth, I also saw myself sitting straight,

telling myself something, which I am yet to fathom,

Sometimes it was a challenge to only look at the dancer

because my eyes would go to the other musicians on stage,

each one enjoying their part and in congruence with the dancer.

There was a communication that was hapening between all of them, all thru,

a communication that reflected a camaraderie.

Each one of them radiated a joy and confidence in their art,

that was so palpable.

It is 24 hours since this recital,

I am still living in many moments of it.

In addition to the emotions, many thoughts were also provoked,

eating my grey cells quietly.

Surely these provoked thoughts will catalyse a bigger difference in me,

what difference, time alone will tell.

Some performances are so powerful that,

you and the performance become one and the same.

This was one such.

A quote by Rabbi Hillel (which I have tweaked, for the purpose of this blog), rings in me yet again,

This time, stronger.

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?

And if not now, when?

NOTE: To the all-women cast of

Kavya Ganesh – Dancer
Vishnupriya Rangarajan – Vocal
Jyotsna Akhil – Nattuvangam
Veena Venkatramani- Veenai
Charu Hariharan – Mridangam

Take a bow, girls or ladies as you may want to be called as 🙂

and Dance To Your Own Tunes, each time and every time!!!