I was born in Kerala in the South of India in 1983. I grew up in the midst of
the traditional heartland, surrounded by lush greenery rich with ancient
physical traditions and spiritual lifestyles.
At the age of 16 I started working as a Bollywood dancer in south Indian movies. At 19, I entered Attakalari Center of Movement in Bangalore, starting my formal training in Kalaripayattu as well as contemporary dance. I underwent years of rigorous training under some of the most well-known Kalaripayattu masters of Kerala (Dil Sagar, Ranjan Mullarat and Sathyan Gurukkal). Having reached a professional level in both the art forms I started looking for ways to combine martial arts with dance. Rather than focusing on the aspect of combat I researched ways in which contemporary techniques could merge with the movement vocabulary of traditional Kalaripayattu, aiming to create my own language of movement and form of expression. Kalaripayattu as a martial art form involves rigorous training of the body and mind; various endurance, flexibility and focus building movement exercise are practiced daily. Training in this form helped my dance become more natural in intent, highly energised, controlled, and I learned how to use physical energy more efficiently.
My class combines contemporary dance techniques with martial art , always aiming to connect body and mind and breath, enabling dancers to express themselves more fluidly, looking for an organic way of connecting movement.
I have been teaching this contemporary approach of Kalaripayattu for contemporary dancers for the past 4 years in many parts in India and across Europe:PARTS summer studio, Sidi Larbi Company, for Jean Guillaume Weiss’ creation Drums and Dance Ritual in Luxembourg, Deltebre Dance Festival, Theater Bremen and many others.
At the age of 16 I started working as a Bollywood dancer in south Indian movies. At 19, I entered Attakalari Center of Movement in Bangalore, starting my formal training in Kalaripayattu as well as contemporary dance. I underwent years of rigorous training under some of the most well-known Kalaripayattu masters of Kerala (Dil Sagar, Ranjan Mullarat and Sathyan Gurukkal). Having reached a professional level in both the art forms I started looking for ways to combine martial arts with dance. Rather than focusing on the aspect of combat I researched ways in which contemporary techniques could merge with the movement vocabulary of traditional Kalaripayattu, aiming to create my own language of movement and form of expression. Kalaripayattu as a martial art form involves rigorous training of the body and mind; various endurance, flexibility and focus building movement exercise are practiced daily. Training in this form helped my dance become more natural in intent, highly energised, controlled, and I learned how to use physical energy more efficiently.
My class combines contemporary dance techniques with martial art , always aiming to connect body and mind and breath, enabling dancers to express themselves more fluidly, looking for an organic way of connecting movement.
I have been teaching this contemporary approach of Kalaripayattu for contemporary dancers for the past 4 years in many parts in India and across Europe:PARTS summer studio, Sidi Larbi Company, for Jean Guillaume Weiss’ creation Drums and Dance Ritual in Luxembourg, Deltebre Dance Festival, Theater Bremen and many others.
Links to class : https://vimeo.com/52804445
Links to works: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXjUkD-8gBs
Links to works: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXjUkD-8gBs