Archana, in December, you performed your Rangapravesham in Kuchipudi. Talk to us a bit about what fuelled your interest in Kuchipudi and what learning this art form has been.

I think it was four years ago, when Kasi Aysola, the Artistic Director of Prakriti Dance asked me after a company rehearsal, if I would be interested in learning Kuchipudi. While I was not very enthused to initiate learning another art form in my late 20s, I thought I would give it a try without an agenda. I took a long time to grasp the fundamentals even though I grew up watching my teachers (Sheela Unnikrishnan and Shoba Korambil) practice Kuchipudi in class several times.

Two major reasons that fuelled my interest to learn; first, the brilliance of Dr Vempati Chinna Satyam shines through every movement and every piece that he has created. When you learn Master's pieces, it's like doing a PhD thesis, every single time. You can't help but surrender to the passion with which he has created the repertoires. The second and most important reason is my teacher, Kasi Aysola's sensitive teaching and intense training. the key to all arts in you. I think somewhere, slowly, one day at a time, the inner artist in me, found its lines in these patterns. Sometimes, the same pattern would manifest in different forms.

The classes go on for several hours and there is no time limit. Every class gets exponentially tough and nuanced. Without a second thought, I owe Kasi for everything I do and will continue to do with Kuchipudi. Kuchipudi is a physically demanding art form and I have found it overwhelming, especially at the beginning of my training.

I think it takes a certain conviction to be a Kuchipudi practitioner. How much

I think it takes a certain conviction to be a Kuchipudi practitioner. How much ever you give, it is never enough. I hope and pray I continue to have the mental and physical energy to take my practice to the next level.

ever you give, it is never enough. I hope and pray I continue to have the mental and physical energy to take my practice to the next level.

Having trained in Bharatanatyam and now foraying into Kuchipudi, can you talk to us about how these two art forms reside in your body and what it is like to negotiate between the two? What, for instance, are the similarities and differences in terms of the way your body responds to Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi?

I practice Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam on alternate days of the week. The groundedness in Bharatanatyam and the swiftness in Kuchipudi resonate with my introverted-extrovert character. It's like I am two different people and it's thrilling!

It challenges me to consciously switch my body and mind between two seemingly similar dance forms and it doesn't come easy. The energy, the pace, the texture of movement, the treatment, everything is different when you start practicing it. In fact, my long training in Bharatanatyam is a strong reference point for me to constantly compare and understand Kuchipudi and its nuances in parallel.

Additionally, it has improved my bandwidth to embody different movement vocabularies and techniques through one body and mind. Does one style influence the other? Maybe. But I am more interested in experiencing how my body responds to it to make it my own.

So far, the active presence of both art forms in my life makes for a fruitful artistic journey.

What has been like to learn Kuchipudi with Kasi Aysola? We have been noticing that you collaborate a lot with his Prakriti Dance Company. What have been some of the key takeaways from that experience?

Kasi can make anybody dance. His battery never drains and his energy is inspiring. I think, for me, what makes him an effective teacher is his ability to identify how someone learns and receives movement.

Often, I am in awe of how specific and spot-on his feedback is in class. Being an incredible Kuchipudi dancer himself, he is a patient teacher, who selflessly shares without any reservations. I truly admire that he has created a conducive learning space for many dancers like myself in the United States. It is rare to find an artist and a teacher as giving as him, from my generation.

I first collaborated with Prakriti in 2018, in their work, Amba Shikandi, when they were short of a dancer. After that, when I moved to the US, Kasi was kind enough to make me one of his company dancers and I had the honor of doing some prestigious shows with him and his team of talented dancers. Now, I am happy that I am involved in the marketing aspect of Prakriti, while I continue to work closely with Kasi's exquisite dance works as one of the company dancers.

I enjoy group work because it challenges my creativity and artistry. Thanks to Sheela Ma'am and the massive SDN group productions that I worked in for many years. It is wonderful that Prakriti gives me a platform to continue this

I enjoy group work because it challenges my creativity and artistry. Thanks to Sheela Ma'am and the massive SDN group productions that I worked in for many years. It is wonderful that Prakriti gives me a platform to continue this experience of creating and performing ensemble work. Apart from all the artistic experiences the company has offered, looking out for each other as fellow dancers, friends and artistes, has been my major takeaway.

experience of creating and performing ensemble work. Apart from all the artistic experiences the company has offered, looking out for each other as fellow dancers, friends and artistes, has been my major takeaway.

Over the years Archana, you have had the privilege of learning from a whole host of gurus. Your first guru, Sheela Unnikrishnan, Renjith and Vijna, and now Kasi Aysola. What is it like to have mentors aplenty in the context of dance?

I consider my time with Sheela Ma'am to be a glorious period of training. As a child, she made me realize hard work is the way to get from where you are to where you want to be. No shortcuts.

Two absolutely wonderful human beings and teachers are Vijna Vasudevan and Renjith Babu. They reinforced positivity and newness in my practice. I realized the importance of being content as an artist through their approach to art. I truly hold them important to my training.

With Kasi, in every class, there is something new to learn and cherish.

I envision the art form as a river - ever moving, with its times and places and ever-evolving, all while retaining its essence. I am fortunate to have met each of them at an appropriate time in my journey. They all have contributed to my artistry in their own wonderful way and some continue to do so. Collectively all of them will continue to play a significant role in my life in unique ways.

You have made California your home for the last couple of years. How have you managed to find a home away from home?

In the past few years, I have had the opportunity to live in the UK and California. Both are very different places with unique cultures that are melting pots of diverse communities and ways of life. This provided me with ample opportunities to engage with artistes and artisans from within and outside the classical arts diaspora. The Bay Area in particular is a wonderful place to call home. It offers all the comforts of India while retaining the advantages of exposure to a Western way of living and thought processes.

Ultimately I believe that home is wherever you make it. It is about family, friends, and good humour.

Could you talk about the feminist work that you are currently working on?

This work-in-progress narrates the tumultuous story of a princess who marries a wandering sage and how her position as a chaste, married woman changes her life.

The struggles of women in the abstract are made concrete through a powerful folk tale of a rural goddess, who emerges from the travails of this regular woman. The story offers several metaphors that are relevant even today. I am exploring the narrative and reinterpreting parts of it from my own experiences as a lone woman in the arts and as someone navigating the expectations of a married Indian woman. I was moved when I read this incredibly powerful story and I am eagerly looking forward to premiering it soon.

What is your choreographic process like?

I am fond of bringing forth the influences of disparate genres of music, and storytelling into the fabric of Bharatanatyam. There is much learning in the process. My inspirations always start with music and poetry. I mentally form the structure and skeleton of the story to see if there is scope for dance, drama and conflict. My works usually spring from the inspiration of personal stories or stories that truly move me. That way I feel more connected to the content.

Interviewed by Team TAP