‘Dance is the most honest form of communication'

Time of India

29-04-2025

Shinjini Kulkarni (L) and Ayana Mukherjee share how their art has given them a voice
On
International Dance Day
, dancers from across Delhi – each devoted to preserving and celebrating diverse dance forms – pose for us at Delhi's iconic heritage sites. Through stories woven with rhythm and passion, they share how their art has given them a voice and charted a path for expressing emotions.
Kathak
has taught me restraint, and that things take their own time to reach perfection:
Shinjini Kulkarni
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Kathak is one of the fundamental relationships I have made as a human being. It has taught me restraint — every time I felt I was not reaching up to the point of perfection, despite doing the same routine in riyaaz, I learnt that things take their own time. It has taught me how one has no control over what they think they're most prepared for. All my emotions have been mirrored in my dance productions, I sometimes go back to older projects to understand how I felt or used to emote them.
Kathak dancer Shinjini Kulkarni strikes a powerful pose against the Bada Gumbad at Lodhi Garden
I've realised that I can express some of the deepest emotions through Kathak, even before addressing or understanding them completely. It allows me to look at my own emotions from a third-person perspective.
'I can express some of the deepest emotions through Kathak'
Dance is a language through which I process & express: Ayana Mukherjee
For me, dance is no longer just movements – it's the language through which I process, question, and express the world around me. Over the years, it has grown into my most honest form of communication, especially when words fall short. Whether I'm embodying mythological women whose stories have been forgotten, or choreographing moments, where a mother like Yashoda grieves for all the children lost in war, I find myself speaking truths through my body.
Kuchipudi dancer Ayana Mukherjee strikes a graceful pose at the Mehrauli Archaeological Park
In every slow unfolding of a gesture, in every repeated attempt to perfect a movement, I've learned that mastery is not immediate – it's earned over time, through showing up again and again. There are days when the body resists, or the expression feels out of reach, but
Kuchipudi
teaches me to stay with it. To breathe through the struggle.
'Dance is how I remember, resist, and reimagine'
The rootedness of Kuchipudi – both in tradition and in storytelling – keeps me connected to something larger than myself. Dance is how I remember, resist, and reimagine.
Ballet
keeps me balanced:
Mario Fernando Augilera
Dance allows artists to express emotions and ideas beyond the scope of words, utilising movement, space, and time as a language. I believe that the practice of ballet and teaching the dance form are very therapeutic. It keeps me balanced and centred, and without it, I would not be able to get through the week.
Ballet dancer and teacher Mario Fernando Augilera showcases some ballet poses in the Qutub complex
Dance is raw, honest language that allows us to express exactly how I feel: Team Hashtag
As artistes, we're privileged to experience a deeper and wider range of emotions than others. These emotions naturally flow into our body and movement, allowing us to express what words often can't. Dance has no barriers — it's a raw, honest language where we can move freely and express exactly how we feel.
Jahnvi Rao, Rubani Manaktala, Manas Yellapantula, Divyata Anand, Shivek Singhal show us some slick moves at Central Park in Connaught Place
As dancers, our body language speaks louder than words. When we dance, we don't feel the need to align words with thoughts because the body interprets it better when I move. We can fall short of words but can never fall short of expressing through movement
Team Hashtag
Dance is raw, honest language that allows us to express exactly how I feel: Team Hashtag
Hip hop dancers from Hashtag show off some dance moves