If art is a reflection of life, and life gets fragmented, distracted and chaotic, what happens to the arts? How does an artiste make a deliberate choice that allows them to create a true reflection of what is in their head and heart? Leela Samson, Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer and teacher, will share her insights on what goes into her process of consciously and sensitively finding that balance to create a work of art.
“Today in dance, everything is increasingly becoming so physical, cerebral, calculative, so to speak. How does one retain the emotive in a way that dance becomes a reflector of the self? I think these are very important questions not only for us, but also for the future generation of dancers,” says the founder of Spanda Dance Company (that turns 25 this year). An alumnus of Kalakshetra, she went on to serve as its director for seven years between 2005 and 2012.
Also an author and an actor, she served as Chairperson, Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi as well as Chairperson, Central Board of Film Certification, and is a Padma Shri award recipient. She will bring to the conversation an eclectic and informed perspective on the importance of the head and the heart to create an equal music.