We were lucky to catch up with Anu Naimpally recently and have shared our conversation below.

Anu, appreciate you joining us today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?

Through my work as a dance performer, educator, and mentor, I hope that I am building a legacy of artistry, integrity, and access. I would hope that audiences will remember my presentations as deeply moving and inspirational through an impactful presentation. I do hope those who studied with me will talk about how their lives changed through their dance journey as they were able to discover their inner strengths and beauty. I hope people will remember my mission to bring Bharata Natyam classical dance of India to remote communities as well as those who have limited access to cultural programming.

Anu, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I had the privilege of growing up with parents who valued and supported art and culture so I always had opportunities to learn and perform many kinds of western dance throughout my childhood. However, where we lived in Canada in the 1970’s there weren’t any practitioners of Indian performing arts. When I was still in high school, I had studied this dance for the year my family had lived in India. Because of this, I found myself teaching Bharata Natyam dance classes as a teenager in communities who were desperately wanting some cultural experience for their kids. And I also performed at community events and festivals. These experiences at an early age honed my skills as both an educator and presenter. I eventually did my professional training in Mumbai after high school under the dance master couple, Pt VJ and Smt Jayashree Pillai.

I moved to Austin, TX in 1989 and founded Austin Dance India (ADI), an organization through which I conduct classes, workshops, arts in education, and produce full-length performances. One of my goals in opening my school was teaching all technique classes myself to maintain a close relationship with each student just like I have had with my teacher. For this reason ADI intentionally maintained a moderate number of students over the years. Many of the students are mentored for 10-12 years and ADI has presented close to 30 students for their arangetram, or debut performances for which the student undergoes intense training to present a complete solo performance of traditional repertoire. It has been a way for them to connect with their cultural heritage and work towards a creative goal through their hard work.

ADI has engaged in a variety of arts offerings over the past three decades. Over the years ADI presented professional full-length productions at various locations in Austin, toured heritage temples in southern India, and offered numerous arts in education tours to remote communities. I am proud to be one of the few South Asian artists providing representation through arts in education to rural counties in Texas and neighboring states. Over the years, I also became a facilitator for classes that help artists seeking to grow their practice by learning about the business side of art. Having navigated my own dance profession over the years without a blueprint, I feel privileged to give back and share my experiences with other artists through courses offered by the Mid-America Arts Alliance and the City of Austin.

At this stage in my career, I’ve added another dimension to my offerings. Austin Dance India is now closed to new student registration as I shift into the health and wellness field, another area which I am passionate about. As a certified health and wellness coach I am interested in sharing practices that can help women age well. By partaking in ancient movement and wisdom, women can maintain their vibrancy and rediscover the strength and sensuality of their bodies. I am excited as Austin Dance India expands into this new chapter in 2024. While continuing to serve the community with cultural and artistic representation, I am looking forward to providing wellness coaching services.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

The mission on my creative journey has always been to work with integrity and put out quality work that engages and moves audiences to a higher place. This has been a huge motivator for me to continue to work hard and not rest on small successes. I don’t ever want to feel complacent. But I always want to keep growing along my journey. The process of creating and collaborating with other artists keeps me curious and challenges me to see things differently, deconstruct concepts, and come up with new work that excites me.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think one struggle that I’ve had as a performer is often getting people to understand that dancing can also be a profession and not just a hobby. I sometimes get invitations to present, perform, teach, or display without compensation. What these folks do not understand about being a performer is that there are hours of non-compensated time spent planning, researching, choreographing, and rehearsing that go into even a 5-10 minute performance. When I show up to perform, I have already spent hours of time preparing my pieces specially for that occasion. When I quote a fee, it takes all this into consideration.

Granted we may very well love what we do, but it is also how we make a living as a profession. We are highly skilled and often have spent years building these talents. In addition, as performing artists we must maintain a regular practice to keep those skills performance ready. Many of us think that creativity is something that just happens! This cannot be farther from the truth! Creativity emerges from disciplined practice and time spent processing. It is often something elusive that flows through only after many hours of frustrated blankness. It is definitely something that needs to be cultivated throughout one’s life. But as artists, the process–no matter how challenging–is also just as fulfilling.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.austindanceindia.com
• Instagram: @anudances
• Facebook: Anu Naimpally ; Austin Dance India
• Linkedin: Anuradha Naimpally
• Youtube: Austin Dance India

Image Credits
Image credits: Sadu Bajekal, Amitava Sarkar