Well it's our 40th season! My mom and dad started the company in 1976, and put on their first show in 1977. Never in their wildest dreams could they have imagined the company would keep going for 40 years.
My parents named the company, Dances of India--a very simple, clear name--because up until the 1990's, if you said you were Indian, people here always, but always, thought you meant "Native American." We'd always hear responses along the lines of, "Indian! I'm a quarter Cherokee myself!" Or, "My grandmother's Cherokee!" Or, my absolute favorite response, which I've retold dozens of times, "Indian? I played bingo once on a reservation in Oklahoma!"
The times have changed, have they not? Well, in some ways. Now I meet people who are surprised I'm not a doctor. Or work in IT. The more things change...
In addition to dancing I write and narrate our performances. We always give...unexpected spins to our stories.
I was born in St. Louis, Missouri, which is certainly a home, but India is as well a home.
The picture on my right is from Bhoganandeswara Temple, an exquisite 8th-century temple near Bangalore.
And in addition to India, France has always been a home. I lived there for a while, as I began studying French at age 12 and kept going all the way through university.
Versailles. The palace is overrated, but the gardens...haven't the words.
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