Wisconsin Life

"Krishna Kauthuvam"

chanting lyrics to staccato tapping

When I was in around eighth grade, I was very stressed. And what I would do is I would go down to my basement, and I would just dance.

chollukattus or rhythmic syllables

So, looking back and realizing, "All those things that I've done while dancing, actually helped me relieve my stress." Without dance, I couldn't say that I would be the person I am today. My name is Shruti Parthasarathy, and I am a Bharatanatyam or classical Indian dancer from Middleton, Wisconsin.

"Muruganin Marupeyar"

Muruganin Marupeyar Bharatanatyam is an ancient Indian classical dance form that originated from southern India thousands of years ago. Marupeyar azhagu And it essentially tells mythological tales of gods and goddesses.

traditional Indian music

So, It's kind of like a play, but with the musicality of dance into it.

patting rhythmically

My teacher is from Chennai, India.

teacher sings Indian song

We communicate for dance class via Skype. And Bharatanatyam, just to give a little excerpt about their solo recitals, is that we do two-hour solo recitals, which we call a Margam.

teacher calls out dance steps

So, in terms of what I work on, usually when I practice at home would be mostly my technique and stamina. Stamina is very key, especially like I've mentioned before, two-hour solo recitals require a ton of stamina.

teacher gives feedback

You need to keep going!

breathily

Okay. One, two, three, four... My teacher and I, and I think everyone else, was very skeptical about Skype. Because at the time we were like, "There are lags or things that can happen. How was dance going to work?" Because it's such a physical thing. It's very hard to do over a screen.

teacher sings and taps rhythm

The bond we have makes it very easy for us to connect. And the one on one relationship is just... I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Announcer

Shruti Parthasarathy.

cheers and applause

Announcer

Middleton, Wisconsin.

cheers and applause

"Muruganin Marupeyar"

Announcer

Bharatanatyam has taken me almost all over the world. I performed in Minnesota, Miami, New York, many places in India.

man singing traditional Indian song

Announcer

I think the best part of it is that it's not just that moment. I mean, it's clich, but it's-- What matters is the journey, not the destination. And it's very applicable in Bharatanatyam because every single day you're practicing, you learn something new. And it's not just about, you know, your technique. You learn something more about yourself.

Shruti Parthasarathy

Put your left leg out. Tap right. Bring it back. In the future, I really hope to continue Bharatanatyam and pass it down to future generations. Whether it be opening a dance school in the United States, and I'm also now very interested in, too, Bharatanatyam therapy. So, when you're stressed, these are simple things that you can do to relieve stress. I have started, essentially, like, a movement which is called "Calm with Kalaa." Kalaa means art form. And what I really hope to do with this is show kids my age and younger there is a way to handle stress in a very simple way. We're going to tap one. Bharatanatyam, even though it's very traditional and very unique with many technique elements and things like that, there are very, very simple elements to it that are proven to relieve stress.

jazz music

Shruti Parthasarathy

Bharatanatyam is a workout for all parts of your body. We use... from our facial expressions to our toes, every single part of our body is being used constantly. So, it is a very good workout. Apart from the physical benefits, it gives you a mental calmness in your mind. I would say my favorite part about doing Bharatanatyam is finding more about myself. As I dance every day, I discover more about me and who I want to become. And I think what really makes me come back to it every day, apart from it's just my passion, is that it's my personal identity that I would never want to lose for anything.

cheers and applause