"Expositions of Transformations"

Building Love Amongst Cultures sponsored a group of Lombard Community members to attend the National Indo-American Museum for a program event titled “Expositions of Transformations”, held on December 5 at 3:30pm. The event had three Natya Dance Theater Indian Classical dancers interpret the artwork from the exhibition through movement. The dance form was Bharatnatyam, which is a South Indian Classical dance form. The event provided a rich experience as it exemplified the dichotomy of visual and performance art coming together.

Senior Dancer Vidya Govind who was inspired by her mother and first generation American, interpreted 5 of the 6 art exhibitions shown by various Indian American contemporary artists: Nandita Raman, Sarika Goulatia, Kaveri Raina, Sreshta Rit Premnath, Kushala Vora and Avantika Bawa. She performed her self-choreographed dance in a way that captured the audience with her body movement and eyes.

Her eyes and body language portrayed liberation ingenuously, as she took me on a voyage of the artwork inspired by Artists of the Indian Diaspora. “May we flow onward toward reflection and peace, with the knowledge that we are each enough. We are complete. We are everything.”

Senior Dancer Vidya Govind

Dancers Prarthana Prashanth and Parvarthi Achari interpreted video art inspired by Indian American artists: Surabhi Saraf and Kuldeep Singh.

Their dance, titled “Roots”, had a very symbolic meaning to me as the hand gestures and swaying body movement

interpreted a true reality of Dharma from Hinduism. Prarthana and Parvarthi dance interpretation segment offered me an experience of peace, joy, strength, tranquility, and discipline. Throughout the performance there were moments of stillness, but internally I felt “dynamism” – alive! I experienced a connection, enamored by the tranquility their dance afforded me. The dance interpretation left me in a wondrous reverie, as I imagined roots growing from the swaying of their arms, placement of their hands and fingers, and steps with their feet – I thought liberation – Freedom. The two dancers captured the grand meaning behind the artists’ video art that was presented. “Like roots that traverse deep underground to connect countless trees within a forest, the inherent bonds among us all are stunning. Will we take time to notice them?”