In a time where we have learnt that true love starts with ourselves, must the nayika (heroine) only be waiting for her beloved Swami? What if she could also value herself, define her boundaries, and stay at the top of her priority list! ‘Dancing to Her own Tune – A varnam for the nayika in her self-worth era’ is a production that boldly reimagines the traditional ‘varnam’ in the Bharatanatyam canon.

Here, the heroine steps away from the often portrayed trope of the “pining nayika” to feature a no-nonsense, confident and independent woman of today. Created and performed with a live all-women ensemble of musicians, this piece breaks the fourth wall between the dancer, musicians and the audiences through mime-based interactive storytelling.

Concept and Choreography: Kavya Ganesh
Music: Vishnupriya Rangarajan
Rhythm: Jyothsna Akilan
Lyrics: Surya Sriram