By Sophia Rutti
Northern Virginia is a highly diverse area constantly booming with cultural events. In any given week there are numerous ways a local can get involved and learn about another culture, whether that is through a performance of Indian dance at Wolf Trap or a Japanese cultural festival held at a temple. There is no need to travel across the world to learn about someone else’s culture.
Deepti Mukund Navile speaks about her Indian heritage and how she is doing her part to share it with NoVA through the Natyabhoomi Dance Company.
What kind of dancing does the Natyabhoomi Dance Company do?
The dance that we do is called Bharathanatyam. The name Bharathanatyam is a simple derivation from the four most important aspects of dance (in Sanskrit). These are: Bha from Bhava meaning emotion, Ra from Raaga meaning music or melody, Ta from Taala meaning rhythm and Natyam meaning dance
This kind of dance has existed in a similar form for thousands of years, which is proven through sculptures, texts and so on. I myself have been a student of this dance form since I was 6 years old. I have been teaching in the greater Washington area for the last 20 years. I celebrated my 20-year anniversary of the school in December 2014.
What makes this dance unique?
It is very much a highly disciplined art form. It takes the same amount of time it would to learn ballet. It takes the same kind of discipline. It is not something that you can just go in and learn for a few weeks and then perform.
How do people typically react to the performance?
We have been really lucky. Everyone who comes and watches the shows really loves it because they love the expressive aspect of it. Unlike ballet where it is all body movements, there are a lot of expressive hand movements and facial expressions. I think the audience connects to that. The storytelling aspect of the dance form really attracts audiences of all backgrounds and places.
What we did last year for Wolf Trap at Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods was take the kids through a journey through India. We showed them what happened and wove the history in the dance. We tried to give them an idea of India along with what we do. We showed them some hand movements and told them where the story was going so they could follow along. I’ve seen children, adults, everyone alike be very receptive.
How does the dance affect your students?
Just like any kind of sport, dance group or art form, it teaches you discipline, focus and organization. There is something beautiful about this art form, and it teaches the girls to connect. Children growing up in America, with all their confusion and issues, it gives them a sense of belonging, like ‘This is me; this is part of me, and I can celebrate it.’
A large part of what we do is storytelling about Hindu gods, but in the end it is a story. It’s like boy meets girl, he likes her then he goes away, or somebody comes and takes away all your troubles—that kind of stuff. The bottom line is that those kinds of human emotions are common to everybody regardless of background. That is what we show in our dances.
Do you find that people of all backgrounds enjoy learning about the culture through this style of dance?
Definitely. My biggest goal is that people learn about our culture. I’ve been teaching for the past 20 years, and we’ve danced for many Indian organizations and eastern organizations. For the last few years I’ve been concentrating on reaching out and educating the greater audiences.
The dance is beautiful, and I want to share it, but at the same time all my girls are Indian-American. They are kids who grew up here and are learning a large part of their culture, and they want to share it, too.
Check out these three events to immerse yourself in eastern cultures without leaving NoVA:
Obon Festival: Japanese Cultural Festival
July 11, 5:30-9 p.m. // Head out to this free festival held on temple grounds and get a taste of Japanese culture. This event will be perfect for the whole family with Japanese food and folk dancing. There will be plenty of children’s games and live music to keep the whole family excited. There will also be walking tours of Ekoji Buddhist temple and a candle ceremony meant to commemorate and honor the memory of loved ones./Free Admission
National Ballet of China performance of “The Peony Pavilion”
July 14; 8:30 p.m. // “The Peony Pavilion” is based on a 16th century opera about star-crossed lovers that are mystically reunited. The performance will be performed by the National Ballet of China, which is the only ballet company performing at the state level in China. With costumes by an Academy and Emmy award-winning designer and original scores by Guo Wenjing, this performance will be nothing short of enchanting./Wolf Trap’s Filene Center; Tickets $20-$65
Natyabhoomi School of Indian Dance
July 30; 10:30 a.m. // Get a taste of the rich traditions of South Asia with this group of talented young dancers. There will be exciting music, interactive choreography and characteristically bright costumes. This group has performed numerous times, including at the National Cherry Blossom Festival. The audience can’t help but be engaged with the spectacular exposition of Indian culture. This event will be held at the Theatre-in-the-Woods venue at Wolf Trap and will be especially good for families./Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods; Tickets $8