Yogini- From Studio to Stage

My training in Kuchipudi dance is meant to combine timeless choreography with all the traditional tools of theater: jewelry, makeup, masks, and props. As always, the line between the stage, the audience, the artisan, and our political and spiritual animus blurs, and I am left with the whirling, colorful, unruly remains- caught in the shine of stage lights and the echo of a rhythm.

Inspired both by the female deities of South Asia and the real women activists that defended Uttar Pradesh's forests during the Chipko movement of the 1970s, this production is an act of modern myth-making that hopes to resonate with the goddess (and fighter) within every woman. As visual artist as well as choreographer, I collaborated with the Sutradhar Dance Company to create fine arts pieces animated by live performance. I created handmade masks, co-created the poetic concept with renowned storyteller and choreographer Anila Kumari, and choreographed original sections using masks, staffs, and swords.

The choreography was an ambitious expansion of the Indian classical dance genre that grew from my own study of Thang-ta martial arts, combining traditions from South and East India to create a new language. We also pulled threads of the narrative across diverse linguistic families and continents, speaking in poetic stanzas in English, Malayalam, Urdu, and Hindi. One segment of our English poetry was inspired by translations of the 12th century visionary Mahadevi Akka's work, which was then translated into Urdu, adding layers of new meaning and conversation to the script. All the acts of translation in this production felt like that- not a betrayal of meaning, but a discovery of the reborn, new and yet cyclical. The performance debuted at Sandy Spring Museum December 15th, 2024, and returned to the stage with an expanded production May 23rd, 2025.

Filmed by Dave Haft, photography by Maya Tran

Bhairavi- one who inspires terror (2024)

Paper mache, clay, acrylic paint

Five handheld sister masks led by one larger, double-handed goddess with blazing eyes and sharp golden teeth. Punctuated by sharp kicks and drumbeats, these faces came alive over a soundtrack punctuated by percussion created out of the data points of climate change and rising temperatures. Despite her fearsome expression, Bhairavi walks as a protective force in 'Yogini' (2024), opening up questions that need to be asked, and expressing emotions that need to be released. This performance, the earliest debut of the project, took place at Sandy Spring Museum and directly interacted with their circular gallery space. The masks were on display in the gallery for weeks prior to the performance, during which dancers plucked them off the walls and brought them to life.

Shubhankari- mother of violent benevolence (2025)

mixed media- clay, paper mache, acrylic, wire, cellophane, recycled materials

Bhairavi's next reincarnation whirled onto the stage in a series of tornado jumps, claiming focus over the confusion of battle and identity crisis. Designed in red to maximize stage lighting, this mask is double-handed and adorned with a reflective crown of recycled material (everything from jewelry to soda cans). Her companions in the 2025 performance are five hot pink and red handheld masks, swirling around each other in desperation to find their true selves and discard patriarchy's shackles. As the questions clear, the yoginis must fight to defend their home in a choreographed staff fight, and ultimately lay down arms as the Goddess makes way for restorative community.