Indian Dance

My Indian dance photography started with a friend who arranged a studio session with her meta-niece Priyanka, who had been studying dance for about 11 years. We used a single light with a plain black background. Very colorful costume; very dramatic lighting. I have had Indian friends for years; since just after college. I had never realized just how much work goes into the dance poses, moves and holds.


I have worked for a few years with the Triveni Dance School, in Brookline, MA. It is directed by the tireless Neena Gulati, who boasts students from 7 to 75. Here are some images from her Tsunami fundraiser. Last year, I shot two other fundraising events within few days. One was a performance by dance instructors. It was called Ode to Mother, arranged by Jayshree Rajamani the other by the Dance Ensemble from Triveni. Called Faces of the Divine, it was performed on a miserable grey day in May, when the rain was lashing down. There were a few hundred people to see it, but it was sad to think many must have missed it, on a day when you really don't want to go out.

Just a few months back, Neena G celebrated her school's 30th annual performance, at the MIT Kresge Auditorium. There were about 120 students in this performance. What a great feat of organization. Pictures are here.

Students will perform a public debut or Arangetram, typically after several years of training and education. Quite often recently, I have seen two dancers sharing an Arangetram date. Sometimes we will shoot studio pictures for use in invitations and posters. These can be portraits or dance poses or moves. Here are some samples from a studio session in 2006.