Bharatnatyam dancer Nitya Sriram headlines 'Quietly Dancing' inaugural edition

CHENNAI: As Bharatanatyam dancer Nitya Sriram prepares for the inaugural edition of Quietly Dancing at Narada Gana Sabha's Mini Hall on June 27, she finds herself reflecting on the journey that has brought her to the city.

"The idea of Quietly Dancing sparked when I first met Nitya last year at the Jaipur Dance Conclave," recalls Akhila from Aalap, The curator of this event . "When I asked her if she performed regularly, she said, 'No akka, I'm just quietly dancing.' Those two words stayed with me."

For Akhila, the phrase captured a reality she had long observed within the dance world. "There are dancers who are not in the performance race. They are not actively chasing opportunities. They simply show up every day, work on their craft and keep refining themselves. I wanted to create a platform for such artistes," she says.

The series is not limited to newcomers or dancers without stage experience. Instead, it focuses on those who choose a quieter path. "There is a certain quiet about their dance, and there is beauty in that quietness," Akhila adds.

Nitya, the student of renowned Bharatanatyam exponent Leela Samson, "A quiet commitment to dance is ensuring a commitment to the self," she says. "The journey of training and tuning the body will always continue, but the same should be extended to the mind. Ironically, I felt closer to my dance when I started feeling closer to myself, engaging with books, art, people and travel."

A significant influence on that journey has been her training under Leela Samson. "Something I have learnt from her is that the dance and self cannot be separated, and that focusing on developing ourselves as human beings is just as, or more important than developing ourselves as dancers," she says.

The performance will feature Kaana Kan Kodi Vendum, a piece depicting the grand procession of Kapaleeshwara and Karpagambal through the streets of Mylapore. The work has become deeply personal to Nitya, evolving alongside her own reflections on devotion and surrender.

"We had started this piece last November in class, and I remember having a conversation with Leela akka on devotion and surrender, and how I was struggling to figure out where I stand with regards to that," she says. "I think about that conversation often."

Recently, while stargazing near Kollidam river, a line from the composition resurfaced in her mind: 'Vaanamo? Kamala Vanamo?' ( when i look at him am I seeing the universe , or a beautiful forest?)

"I think this piece is special for me because it follows me everywhere, and every time I do it I feel like I am changing," she reflects.

"Even on the days where my mind does not cooperate, it is fascinating how movement can evoke many things," she says. "I wanted to focus on how my body felt while dancing. It's very exciting when we can feel every inch of our muscles move in a way that we would like them to."

I'm exploring myself, to be honest," she says. "It requires much introspection, and I have the hope and trust that it will one day seep into my dance."

"I have started seeing dance as a way of life. By shifting the focus from dance to self, I have started to explore my inner self, which is still a work in progress."