[traditional Indian music]
- 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.
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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.
? ?
Bharatanatyam is an ancient Indian classical dance form
that originated from southern India
thousands of years ago.
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And it essentially tells mythological tales of gods and goddesses.
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So it's kind of like a play
but with the musicality of dance into it.
? ?
[tap, tap, tap, ta-tap]
My teacher is from Chennai, India.
[teacher singing]
We communicate for dance class via Skype.
[stomp, stomp]
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 chanting rhythm]
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'd mentioned before,
two-hour solo recitals require a ton of stamina.
[teacher giving instruction] Okay.
- Teacher: 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.
"There are 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 singing, tapping out 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, Middleton, Wisconsin.
[applause]
[classical Indian music]
- Bharatanatyam has taken me almost all over the world.
I performed in Minnesota, Miami, New York, many places in India.
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I think the best part of it is that it's not just that moment.
I mean, it's cliche, 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.
It's not just about your technique.
You learn something more about yourself.
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 into Bharatanatyam therapy.
So when you're stressed,
these are simple things 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 a very traditional and very unique,
with many technique elements and things like that,
there are very simple elements to it
that are proven to relieve stress.
? ?
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.
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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.
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And I think what makes me really come back to it everyday,
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]