According to Sage Bharat, ” Nritya is a culmination of ” Natya” or acting and “Nritta” or dance. Dance and Theater are entwined together by the thread of music and if either were to be torn away, “Nritya” would be lifeless and insipid. ” Nritta” is incomplete without “abhinaya” or expression and expression without movement and music is a body without a soul.

Dance is an expression of one’s self in rhythmic movements. Sublime, omnipotent emotion is translated into a frenzy of intricate footwork, multifarious hand gestures and a mosaic of expressions. I never knew that dance would be my medium of self expression. Or to be more precise, “Nritya”. Ever since I can remember, whenever I heard music, I was filled with an overwhelming urge to dance. So intense was my desire to dance that despite my father’s intense dislike for dance, I danced quietly behind closed doors without his knowledge.

College brought new opportunities and avenues for performances. The encouragement from my peers and the admiration of my juniors led me to dance in abandonment on stage and in competitions. As I won accolades and fame, I experienced a euphoria that lifted me off my dancing feet and I became one with my Creator ( who I call Nataraja, the God of Dance).