Today we’d like to introduce you to Rathi Varma

Hi Rathi, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

I was a back line corner dancer and wasn’t acknowledged for my dancing skills. But at 15, my mother enrolled me in a dance class in Mumbai, India, at Shiamak Davar’s Institute of Performing Arts (SDIPA). That’s when I knew I wanted to pursue dance. It hasn’t always been a full-time career for me, though. For example, in my early 20s, I worked as an illustrator professionally while dancing on the side. At 28, I suffered an accident and broke my forearm. The accident made me realize that I wanted to commit to dance full time. In 2018, I moved to New York, where I studied Contemporary, Ballet, Horton, and Dance Theatre at Peridance Center for 3 years. After that, I received the opportunity to work with several choreographers such as Anabella Lenzu, Dina Denis and Apollonia Holzier. Currently, I am a member of three dance companies: Matthew Westerby Company, Treehouse Shakers, and Time Lapse Dance. Apart from being a performer, I am also a Teaching Artist with Arts For All and Dancewave. My passion also lies in creating my own work. So far I have created four works, Dear Bread, Table for Two, Imperfect, and What Will be, Will be, which were presented at Spoke The Hub, Flushing Town Hall, BAAD (Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance), Arts on Site, and Balance Arts Centre. I’ve come a long way in my dance career: from being a corner dancer to performing solo on stage. At every step, I’ve expanded my comfort zone and followed my heart.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?

I dealt with a knee injury 3 years in 2021 ago which made me minimise dancing and focus on body conditioning. This led to getting a knee surgery in the same year, which required about 3-5 months of recuperation and physical therapy. Around this time around, I learnt to surrender and be patient with my body. It took me a while to bounce back as I had to allow myself time to approach a few things differently. Dealing with an injury, has taught me to respect and listen to my body instead of resisting it.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?

The one thing that keeps my creativity alive is creating work. A lot of my work I’ve created has been inspired by social and cultural issues. My most recent one was, Dear Bread, that I choreographed and performed in June 2023. Dear bread is a reflection of our society’s evolving relationship with bread – from being a historical cultural symbol to it’s controversial status in diet narratives. Additionally, incorporating digital media with performance gives me a platform to experiment with dance film as a genre adding a layer of narrative. My education in Fine Art has introduced me to different mediums such as photography, painting and performance art and the infinity possibilities surrounding it.

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?

A book I’m currently reading is, Daily Rituals by Mason Currey.
It talks about the rituals and routines maintained by pioneers in creative fields such as music, writing, dance and art.
I strongly believe in self discipline and this book gives me an insight on how masters from the past have lived their lives by creating a routine for themselves and abiding by it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rathivarma.com
• Instagram: @rathivarma

Image Credits

Photo credit: Alexander Sargent
Photo credit: Tals Studio