Ancient Dance Meets Modern Tales: Women’s 30-Year Journey of Expression

Thirty years ago, Anne Tiburtius was asked to perform a dance she loved at a local event. She never imagined that this would lead to the creation of a dance company with more than 70 performers. Today, Anne is the artistic director of Natyapriya, a group whose name comes from the ancient Indian language Sanskrit. 'Natya' means 'dance' and 'priya' means 'lover. ' The company began in 1995 in Norwich, after an International Women's Day celebration. At first, the group focused on teaching and performing Bharatanatyam, a classical dance from South India.

Over the years, Natyapriya has grown from a few dancers performing at private parties to a large group with several classes each week and annual shows. The company welcomes dancers of all ages, from teenagers to adults. They wear colorful costumes decorated with gold and traditional jewelry, including a bindi on their foreheads. In the beginning, the group mostly performed stories from Indian mythology. These stories are full of interesting characters and lessons. However, Anne and her dancers wanted to use their art to talk about modern issues, too. Now, they use Bharatanatyam to explore topics like family relationships, moving to a new country, and the challenges women face today.

Dana John, who has been dancing since she was four, believes that classical dance can change and reach new audiences. She and Anne created a dance about growing up, becoming a woman, and motherhood. This performance touched many parents and young adults. The group has also added new movements to their dances, like pretending to use a mobile phone, to make the stories more relatable. Another dancer, Sherly Joseph, joined Natyapriya after her daughter left for university. Sherly had a stroke that made it hard for her to move and speak. The group supported her by video-calling her in the hospital and inviting her to join them on stage. Dancing helped Sherly feel happy and gave her a new purpose. Natyapriya now offers public dance classes for people of all ages and works with community groups to create performances. Anne believes that dance must change with the times to stay interesting and meaningful for everyone.