Sometimes understanding an art form means stepping into roles you would have never lived before. And for the third conversation in the Living Archive, I got a chance to speak with Lavanya Karthikeyan, a Bharatanatyam dancer, on her perspectives about her art form.

Thank you, Lavanya, for such beautiful words and helping us all understand more about your passion! This is Issue 03 of The Living Archive!

If her art form could speak, she imagines it would, "Encourage me to keep exploring. I imagine dance to be somewhat of a motherly figure, stern and disciplinary, while also being affectionate and exhilarating.

Has there ever been a character you've struggled to portray? What did that teach you?

I played the character of Kooni/Manthara in a production, and it was something that I found new and challenging at the time. Up till that point, I had always found myself playing characters that were, on the surface at least, more one-dimensional and easy to understand. This character, however, was layered in terms of motivations and intentions, which made it more challenging. The experience taught me about how playing a character is unique to their own experience- each person has their own reasons for what they do. They believe that they are doing the right thing by their means, based on their background, upbringing, and position in society. It’s a fresh perspective to essentially step into someone else’s shoes.

Has Bharatanatyam changed how you view emotions or relationships in any way?

I think Bharathanatyam has given me a way to view relationships in a way that helps me understand people better. That idea of knowing a person and their way of thought.

If you could keep any one thing about Bharatanatyam, what would it be? And if you could change anything, what would it be?

I would keep almost everything I know of Bharathanatyam :) If I had to choose something dear to me, maybe Kuthithumettadavu. If I had to change something about Bharathanatyam- possibly the heavy head jewlery for girls. It’s beautiful and a part of the tradition, but sometimes it gets in the way of jumps!

If you enjoyed this, be sure to check out our other interviews and essays!