Dancer and artist Sivaranjani V is an example of how creative mediums often influence and elevate each other.
A trained Bharatnatyam dancer who has also carved out a space for herself in the arts scene, Sivaranjani’s creative spirit shines through with equal parts raw passion and focused dedication.
From starting her journey with Bharatanatyam aged five to experimenting with various forms, Sivaranjini continues to find ways to express herself through movement. Striking a balance between liberation and discipline, she hones her versatility with goals of exploring bold themes in the future.
Alluring and grounding all at once, Sivaranjini is April’s Monthly Muse. Dive into our conversation about how her art and dance influence each other, the motivation behind her dance Instagram page and how being a dancer has shaped her daily life.
1. Take me through your dance journey. When did you start?
I started dancing Bharatanatyam at the age of 5 and I’ve been dancing for 16 years. It began on a whim with my parents asking if I would be interested in dancing. Having said yes, I was taken to a dance class where the teacher asked me if I would sit in araimandi and dance to which I nodded enthusiastically.
2. You’re also an artist, how have your creative sides influenced or inspired each other?
I find the idea of movement finding its way into my paintings. Often abstractions of movements and poses I have drawn from dancing and incorporated in my paintings. At the same time, my sense of colour has often influenced my costume and makeup choices. Further, the idea of rhythm I try to incorporate into my work, where a certain direction and flow can be seen in the composition of the painting.
Dance is a form of labour that gives one pleasure. It makes the body a canvas that allows one to express oneself.
3. How has being a dancer shaped aspects of your daily life?
A large part of my sense of self has been derived from my dancing practice. Simple things such as posture, stance etc have been internalised because of dancing. Further, it has been a practice that has helped me gain a sense of discipline. A large part of my life has revolved around practice such that I have had to organise and divide my time accordingly. It has taught me the importance of working hard enough at something to improve; it taught me the importance of developing a work ethic that values labour.
4. Do you enjoy experimenting with new dance styles? Is there any style you’d like to try out in the future?
After my meniscus tear, I was advised to take up Salsa, and I also took up Bachata and Jive on the way. Unlike Bharatanatyam that I pursued as a soloist, Latin American forms introduced me to social dancing. It helped with letting go, relaxing and picking up leads to improvise while dancing unlike my Bharatanatyam practice which focused on choreography. While I was initially averse to the idea of experimentation, Latin American forms have opened my mind to experimenting with different forms and freestyling. I would like to learn wacking sometime in the future and maybe ballet too.
5. What are your goals or dreams in terms of your dancing journey?
For now, I’m looking to return to Bharatanatyam post my injury. In the future, I hope to use Bharatanatyam as a medium to speak about narratives that I am passionate about– perhaps drawn from literature and painting. I also want to work on the ability to improvise such that I can play with the various forms of dance that I am familiar with.
Female desire is a theme I want to explore through my choreographies using both existing songs part of the Bharatanatyam oeuvre and newer compositions.
6. Personally, what’s the most rewarding part of performing?
I think the dripping of sweat as one finishes dancing a piece and the little moments of improvisation and thinking on one’s feet as one performs are the most rewarding parts of a performance. Such moments surprise oneself and remind oneself about their creative and interpretive abilities. Lastly, the ability to get immersed in a piece so as to forget one’s surroundings is extremely satisfying.
7. You also have a dance page on Instagram. Tell us a bit about the content you plan to share there.
I started the page as a means to motivate myself to try out more styles of dancing and get comfortable with my body and letting go of its awkwardness. I plan to use it as a platform to share my dance experiments.
8. What’s one myth about dance and performance that you’d love to break ?
The idea that pushing one’s limits at all costs is celebrated as a value. Similarly, the need to cross train one’s body outside of the form is not emphasized enough. However, not listening to one’s body, not resting enough, and not working out severely affects one’s ability to perform.
9.How do sustain your passion for dance and keep yourself motivated?
I think it’s important to let different art forms or hobbies feed off each other so as to ensure that one looks at things with curiosity and fresh eyes. Further, other physical activities or hobbies also give one a sense of pleasure and respite that allows one to not get bored of one’s art.
10. Finally, can you tell me what meaning dance holds in your life?
It is a form of labour that gives one pleasure. It makes the body a canvas that allows one to express oneself. It is a way of respecting the body as a source of art and appreciating it.
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