Art. I have always believed it flows within us and courses outward when permitted. It is nature, history, culture. It is me, and it is you. It may be the rawest expression of a person, and is probably the greatest intimacy we can share with one another.

WHEN I STARTED TO DANCE

Dance and I had our first formal introduction when my mother forced me to join a Bharathanatyam class at the mere age of three. But the more I danced, the more familiar I became with the idea that the origin of my bond with dance began much before that. Our every movement, from the first few flutters as a fetus, to the first steps we take, is a dance in itself. We have all danced. Whether we engaged in it voluntarily or not, we have. We do it every day, with every wave of a hand and every breath drawn in.

For the first few years as a miniature dancer, I rejected the notion of dance. Until this day, I am reminded by my mother that I began my first few lessons by lying on my dance teacher’s bed in her apartment, talking the entire time, while the other students diligently danced away. I had very stubbornly decided that dance was not for me. Of course that phase dissipated quite swiftly, and I had the unique experience of being hurled into the world of dance. Rising and falling through the tide of bells, bangles and ballads, I slowly came to realize that dance and I, we had a more familiar bond than I had once believed.

WHY I LOVE IT

I constantly hear myself referring to dance as my life, as a way of life and as a part of me. I learn every day that the art of dance is much bigger than me. It humbles, and it glorifies. I have been blessed with the ability to experience it on such an intimate level. It may sound peculiar, but I am in a loving, committed relationship with dance. I believe in its giving, nurturing, omnipresent nature. We are partners, dance and I. I am never still, and never alone. I continue to nourish my relationship and attachment to dance through the exploration of many forms of dance. I seek out and relish the friendships I build with other beings who feel this same passion. This journey has led me to the door of many an artists’ dreams, and allowed me to experience their passion as if it were my own.

WHY I WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO OTHERS

When I close my eyes, I imagine colors and light emanating from all of us. More often than not, the world gradually strips and drains away the vivacious hues in our aura. Dance can restore that. Art can help you see hope in humanity, and light at the end of the tunnel. I revel in the ability to see the light in the eyes of those who have recognized their connection to art. I do not propose that you can only experience the art of dance by performing and learning it. Dance, visual art, drama, music and all the other art forms can be experienced from the outside as well. The experience is not exclusive to the artist alone. When experiencing art from the outside in, you travel with the artist on an extraordinary journey, and that awareness is to be envied. There is nothing like it in the world.

Art. It is to experience life and the people in it at the utmost intimate and heightened level, in the richest hues.

– All images courtesy of DigitalFusion Production