MUKTA, A WOMAN LIBERATED
Reclaiming the voice of our inner Goddess
In Sanskrit, MUKTA means liberation.
MUKTA, A Woman Liberated is a dance production that highlights a pivotal dialogue between a modern woman, or nayika, and her inner Goddess. Through original poetry, music and movement, MUKTA follows the internal journey of a nayika’s struggle to achieve her dreams while living in a patriarchal society. The performance culminates in celebrating a woman’s power to rise above all obstacles.
Mukta is inspired by my personal journey and those of 65 South Asian women I interviewed. Conversations with family members and colleagues helped me recognize that, they too had similar cultural experiences. They shared personal anecdotes on cultural barriers obstructing their journey to their dreams. A clear message was the subconscious fear of pushing back against cultural norms that bind their spirit.
The goals of Mukta are two-fold: to help women recognize their inner strength to liberate themselves and share insight on the South Asian female experience amongst different communities through kathak dance.
Mukta is a 75 minute dance performance segmented into seven pieces with solo and ensemble choreography.
Length of production: 75minutes (recorded music)
Performers: 7
Community Engagement:
There is a wide range of activities available in conjunction with the performance including, but not limited to:
Post Performance Talk:
I would like to connect local community organizations, local university professors and student groups to curate a post performance conversation and Q&A session for specific academic departments or the general public. Potential aspects I would like to share are:
(as a woman) that lead me to create Mukta
Draw parallels with the current issues women face in today’s society
Dissecting the movement and choreographic process (which is informed by real stories of South Asian women)
Kathak dance workshops:
The workshops will introduce attendees to the essence of Kathak dance from basic 16 beat time cycle rhythm, footwork, hand movements and spins.
I would also teach a short choreographic segment of Mukta. I would like to share Mukta dance movement as a way for attendees to further connect and understand the production.
“Simplifying conflicting ideologies through purely visual storytelling is the kind of art I respond to most strongly.
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Work-in-progress video from International Human Rights Arts Festival, NYC November 2018
“...the evening-length dance is well on its way to becoming a work that can speak to all audiences.
The choreography is full-bodied.”
The Mukta Collective
The MUKTA COLLECTIVE brings together intergenerational women in a safe space to move and share personal stories and have organic discussions about fear, societal norms holding us back, personal and professional aspirations and more. The mission behind the collective is to encourage symbiotic relationships and create cognitive shifts, enabling women to realize they have the choice to be their unhindered selves. With one cohort in place, I am in the process of developing more.
Thus far, I have met thrice with a cohort of eight women. A 4-day intensive program in January 2019 with the Institute of Community Action Training program with Gibney Dance has aided me in further developing the collective into a more beneficial community program. This intensive has helped me create a model that I can bring to different communities where MUKTA is being presented.