Art Is Never Exclusive

No art is exclusive. I think every art form has another which seeps into it. Even a singer`s eyes and hands dance and even an actor must sing and dance sometimes to express their characters emotions. Similarly, in kathak too, the element of music is there but more importantly I feel like every kathak dancer is also an actor/actress. The mark of a good kathak dancer is to be able to embody and portray yourself as the character that the bandish is made for. It could be a woman dancing in a nawabs darbar, a man filled with courage and bravery or even Lord Krishna himself. To be able to do this, to show these characters through your dance is no easy feat. While doing paran, one must imagine themselves to be man muscular and proud, only then does your chest broaden and your movements become sharper and more weighted. My guru once said that ‘What starts with a lie but ends with truth, that is dance.’ What she was trying to explain was that when you’re dancing you must rely on your imagination.  What goes on in your head is reflected by your movements and body language. When this imaginary world is in your head, it is not real, it is a lie. However, the second that your world is translated into your dance, it becomes reality, it becomes truth.