The blog
An assortment of thoughts, opinions and stories
Books I’ve enjoyed, notes from my workshops, and stories about writing, dance and travel
The Feeling After Reading a Good Book
The Feeling After Reading a Good Book
I sit on the sofa looking at the wall in front of me. Hundreds of images cover the wall. A young brown girl. The book does not say anywhere that she is brown. In…
Nayanabhinaya
What is Nayanabhinaya? Divide the word and we get “Nayana” (eyes) and “Abhinaya” (loosely translated as expression). The eyes are an essential part of Indian classical dance, and that is one of the reasons…
Ashadi Ekadashi at Prashanthi Nilayam
Ashadi Ekadashi at Prashanthi Nilayam
Standing there, behind the backdrop, we held our breath. We had been working with 43 Bal Vikas children with little or no knowledge of dance since May, and this was the outcome of all…
The Story of Cirrus Flux
“Where are you, Varsha?” “I’m not here!” I call back. “It looks like you are.” “No, I’m inside here.” (pointing to my book) That’s the way it was with The Story of Cirrus Flux.…
Hastaabhinaya – expressing through your hands
Hastaabhinaya – expressing through your hands
Classical dance is a language that has the power to express your deepest emotions. When we learn a language from scratch, where do we begin? When you read, you begin with A-B-C; when you sing you…
Abhinaya: A Dance Workshop
What is abhinaya? Does it really just mean ‘expression’? Etymologically, abhinaya comes from two words ‘abhi’ (towards) and ‘niya’ (leading). So, Abhinaya leads you, the audience towards something. And what is that something? Rasa…
The Midnight Fox
It is not that I have not been reading. As a matter of fact, I have been reading quite a bit. I read A Beautiful Lie by Irfan Master and enjoyed it. I read…
Workshop Coming Soon …
We are conducting a dance workshop (followed by a performance) soon … I will share the details in the next few days!
Not the Mona Lisa
Entry to the Louvre is free on the first Sunday of each month, and I landed in Paris on the first Sunday of June. Jet lag is a luxury that people who have time…
Storytelling with Varsha – Tomorrow!
Storytelling with Varsha – Tomorrow!
Here are some pictures from the past. See you tomorrow! Storytelling with Varsha Age-group: 5-8 years Venue: Friends Library, Salunke Vihar Road Registration Fee: Rs. 350 Date: 20th June, 2014 (Friday) Time: 6 pm…