Saratoga News Photograph by George Sakkestad Dramatic Gesture Mythili Kumar shares Indian traditions with the art of the dance By Shari Kaplan Whither the hand goes, there the glance follows, Whither the glances lead, there the mind follows, Whither the mind goes, there the mood follows, Whither the mood goes, there is 'rasa' born. Although written by a centuries'-old scribe in the ancient language of Sanskrit, this verse from the Natya Shastra--India's oldest book on the art of dance--is as applicable in 1990s California as when it was codified more than 2,000 years ago. And no one is more familiar with this blend of ancient and modern than Mythili Kumar. In fact, it describes her life. Kumar, who lives in Monte Sereno with her husband and two daughters, is the founder, principal choreographer and artistic director behind the nonprofit Abhinaya Dance Company, an 18-year-old South Bay organization dedicated to the rasa as described in the Natya Shastra. The concept of rasa, Kumar explains, basically translates to "total aesthetic enjoyment," or the total flavor of a dance form, experienced by both the dancer and the audience. Abhinaya itself means expression, or to carry toward or communicate, according to Kumar. "It's a very common term in all Indian dance, because you're always communicating to your audience," she says. Many factors contribute to abhinaya, including dancers' costumes, gestures, inner emotional state, and the rhythm, melody and--if applicable--words to the music to which they are dancing. A native of Bombay, India, Kumar first found her dancing feet at age 7, when she participated in a school dance show. "I enjoyed myself so much that my parents got me a private dance tutor when I was 8," she recalls. "I was a very quick learner; by the time I was 11, I was giving solo performances." At the age of 13, she joined a dance troupe; by the time she was 17 or 18 and living in New Delhi, Kumar says she realized there was more to dance than the physical aspects she'd grown up learning. "I got to the age where I wanted to learn more about the history and meaning behind it; I wanted to understand more of what was going on behind the dance," she says. In her Abhinaya dance classes, Kumar instills this intellectual and spiritual appreciation of Indian dance in her students when they are still young, believing that the earlier they are exposed to it, the more well-rounded their experience will be. Kumar earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in foods and nutrition in India, moved to the United States in 1978 and married a year later. Although she earned another master's degree in nutrition from UC-Davis, this registered dietitian feeds her body and mind as much with the three dimensions of Indian dance--nrtta, nrtya and natya--as she does with food groups. This alliterative trio is a common thread woven among the seven officially recognized styles of classical Indian dance, of which Kumar is proficient in three: Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi and Odissi. Nrtta is abstract dance, whose essence is rhythm expressed through body movements and specific poses. Nrtya describes the emotional expression of dance with facial expressions and stylized hand gestures. Natya is a dramatic interpretation or pantomime technique dancers use when enacting India's rich legacy of religious and mythological stories. That was the legacy Kumar brought with her to California as a foundation for what would become the Abhinaya Dance Company. Initially, Kumar sought out other Indian dance groups to perform with. As she made new friends and gained a reputation as an accomplished dancer, people began asking her if she might teach their children the dances of their homeland. Kumar started small--only about seven young girls--but thanks to word of mouth, soon her informal group of dance classes was no longer enough. In 1981, she founded the Abhinaya Dance Company, whose ranks continued to swell as dancers recruited friends and relatives to join. At the same time, Kumar was also engaged in a handful of performances in the Bay Area. Resting only briefly to give birth to daughter Rasika in 1983, Kumar organized, promoted and performed in a 16-city tour--with both dancers and musicians--in the United States and Canada in 1984. While pregnant with daughter Malavika in 1985, Kumar met a woman promoting an Asian dance festival who wanted to include India in its lineup. By this time, some of Kumar's original students were proficient enough to perform an impressively detailed show. "Dancing is not an easy thing to make a career from. If I had to do it all alone, I probably would have given up long ago," Kumar says, expressing gratitude to husband B., a computer consultant, for all his support and encouragement over the years. "It's not a cushy job; it's an all-consuming thing: putting scenes and [dance] steps together and reading books on themes." Abhinaya's first full-length dance drama, with Kumar's original choreography, took place in 1986. Shiva: The Cosmic Dancer told the story of the Hindu god Shiva, part of the sacred trinity of Brahma the creator and Vishnu the preserver. Shiva is known as the destroyer, but he is also known for his powers of protection and rebirth. He is also considered "the lord of the dance"--a fitting honoree for Abhinaya's first major work. The main performers were girls making their arangetrams, or solo dance debuts. It takes many years of practice and patience, according to Kumar, to go from ingénue to debutante in the world of Indian dance. "One of the main differences between dance in India and dance elsewhere is the way religion is intertwined with it. Also, your devotion to the art must rise above your ego," she adds. "Your object each time is to devote yourself to the dance and elevate yourself above the technique. You should gain some spiritual enlightenment from it; if you can lose yourself in the dance, that's wonderful!" The Asian dance performances and the Shiva drama brought the Abhinaya name to the attention of the greater South Bay dance circuit--not only Indian--and also brought Kumar dozens of additional eager students. Since then, Abhinaya has been the recipient of many performing arts grants--including those from the California Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Rockefeller Foundation. Kumar--sometimes solo, sometimes with her growing cadre of seasoned dancers, and sometimes in collaboration with other dance companies--has earned many awards and honors, including her Fall 1998 recognition in the 23rd annual Women of Achievement Awards. Among Abhinaya's past full-length dance dramas, each centered on a specific theme, are The Rhythm of Life, Epic Emotions and Gandhi: The Mahatma. Among the company's biggest collaborative efforts was the Fall 1997 Vande Mataram: Mother, I Bow to Thee, which brought together four pairs of mother and daughter dancers from the Bay Area, the Los Angeles area and Chicago. Kumar's older daughter, Rasika, has been dancing since age 4 and made her arangetram in 1996, so by the time she performed with Kumar in Vande Mataram, it was old hat. "Dance has sort of been my life. Ever since I was a baby, I'd watch and absorb what my mom was teaching her students. And since childhood, I've always liked being in the spotlight," Rasika says. Now that she and her sister Malavika are 15 and 13, respectively, Rasika says their mother has taken to bouncing ideas off them for new shows. "I think she respects our opinions because we know where she's coming from," Rasika says. "I've learned so much from the dance--religion, language and tradition. Everything I've learned is really part of my culture. It's so much more than just an extracurricular activity or a hobby," Rasika adds. "I could never give this up; it's so much a part of my life that if I did, a part of me would be lost." For more information about the Abhinaya Dance Company, its classes at various South Bay locations, or its upcoming Bay Area performances, call 993-9231, or visit its Web site at www.abhinaya.com. [ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Saratoga News, January 27, 1999. ©1999 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.