The Dancing Doctor

It was a homecoming of sorts for Jaysi. Born in Chandigarh and raised in Plover,USA,the dancer was initiated into kathak during a trip to Chandigarh at the age of four,when she was here during her summer vacations.

It was a homecoming of sorts for Jaysi. Born in Chandigarh and raised in Plover,USA,the dancer was initiated into kathak during a trip to Chandigarh at the age of four,when she was here during her summer vacations. Years later,now 42,she was performing on stage at the Pracheen Kala Kendra,on Friday. I have many friends and relatives here,so it was a memorable affair, says Jaysi,who has another performance lined up next week.

Taking lessons in ballet since the age of two,the dancer has also trained in bharatnatyam with Hema Rajgopalan and has studied modern dance with the Zenon Dance Company in Minneapolis. I have been dancing all the way. I studied at the Chhandam School of Kathak Dance with Pandit Chitresh Das for 10 years in the Bay area, says Jaysi,who is also learning tabla from Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri. She is now pushing the tradition of kathak by performing with a hand-held percussion instrument,kanjira,that she is learning from Pandit Subhash Chandran.

The only thing that connects all my passions is me, says the petite dancer,who is a doctor by profession. A fellow in occupational and environmental medicine at the University of California,San Francisco,she says,I chose to practice medicine in a certain way and use my art in another manner. The aim is to enjoy and give back something to others.

Ten per cent of the earnings from Jaysis shows will be used for projects run by Shama Inc,for the education of street children. I want to alleviate suffering through art and medicine, says Jaysi,whose dance performance protested against the Gujarat riots,violence in Iran and Iraq,and the growing terror in the world. It was an amalgamation of songs,dance and stories. Kathak is a beautiful medium of expressing ideas,concepts,not only in abstract,but literal form. I share my ideas,feelings,thoughts and question the modern-day definition of success,freedom of emotions,religion,speech,right to dissent and how these relate to peace and communal harmony, says Jaysi.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Loading Taboola...