“Dance taught me that creativity is not only in self-expression; it is about keeping the balance. Movement allows you to explore both”
1. Could you share your journey as a dancer and the inspiration behind founding Dancing Battalion?
Dance entered my life long before I ever called it a career. It was a personal refuge at the beginning-a way to express emotions that words could never fully capture. As time passed, it grew into something larger: a tool for connection, empowerment, and healing.
When I founded Dancing Battalion, my vision was simple: to create a movement beyond choreography. I wanted it to be about a group of passionate people who use dance not for performance, but as a means to communicate, to awaken, to unite, and to heal.
2. How has dance shaped your personal philosophy about creativity, well-being, and social connection?
Dance taught me that creativity is not only in self-expression; it is about keeping the balance. Movement allows you to explore both freedom and discipline, individuality and unity.
Personally, I feel that dance has constantly reminded me that there is connectivity between the body and mind. When people move in tandem, they share energy, emotion, and empathy. That connection builds trust and dissolves barriers. In many ways, dance mirrors what sustainability means to me: finding harmony within ourselves and with the world around us.
3. When did you first begin to consider using art and movement to inspire awareness of and change in society?
It started almost accidentally. A few years ago, I choreographed a piece inspired by the recurring floods in Kerala-something that affected all of us deeply. The performance depicted both the destruction and the resilience of communities rebuilding their lives.
After this, a number of people in the crowd came up to me and told me that what they had witnessed on stage had really affected them and served as a reminder of the strength of duty, compassion, and solidarity. I became fully aware of the transformational power of art at this point. Dancing has the potential to be much more than just amusement; it might be a manifestation of consciousness.
4. What are some of your most memorable experiences as a choreographer when dance sparked a powerful emotional or social impact?
Outstanding among these is our piece “The Pulse of the Earth,” fusing together the classical Indian form with the contemporary to present the rhythm of nature-from calm harmony to chaotic imbalance. The choreography was inspired by the idea that the Earth itself has a heartbeat, and that every time we harm it, that rhythm falters.
With students, residents, and environmental organisations, we conducted it in a community gathering. People were clearly affected; several later told me that it altered their perception of the world, making it seem more alive and entwined with us rather than as a distinct creature. Those moments remind me why I do what I do.
5. As an artist and community leader, what does sustainability mean to you?
To me, sustainability isn’t just environmental conservation; it’s also about sustaining emotions, connections, and hope. As artists, it is our job to keep the human spirit alive during times when the world seems uncertain.
I also see sustainability as a moral responsibility. In the same way we care for our bodies through movement, we need to care for the planet that sustains that movement. Every small act — whether it’s reducing waste at our studios, supporting local artisans for costumes, or reusing stage materials — is a reflection of that value.
6. How do you see dancing as a tool to keep the humanspirit alive when things are hard, like when theenvironment is changing or society is changing?
Climate anxiety is real, and it affects more people than weimagine-especially the young. Overwhelmed by the global scaleof these problems, they often feel powerless. Through dance,there is an opportunity to process that emotion and make thatfear an act of expression and action.
Movement grounds people. It brings them into the presentmoment, reminding them that change starts with consciousnessand small, continued steps. When we dance, we feel connected-not just to each other, but to something more, something alive.That’s the beginning of healing.
7. If so, kindly share an example where one of yourperformances or workshops inspired environmentalawareness or mindfulness among your audience.
Last year, we conducted a series of workshops called “Move for the Earth.” It was designed to help participants — from students to working professionals — explore their emotions about the environment through movement.
We did not talk much in those sessions; instead, we asked the participants to express how they feel about the planet through motion: sadness, hope, fear, pride. By the end of each session, something beautiful happened. The conversations that followed were raw, reflective, and deeply personal. Many told me how they walked away with a newfound mindfulness about the choices they make in their daily lives-from how they consume to how they treat their surroundings.
8. Many communities today are feeling stress, uncertainty, and ecological loss. How might the performing arts, such as dance, foster people’s healing, reconnection, and hope?
Art heals because it gives shape to that which is invisible: grief, fear, and longing. When people dance together, they don’t just move their bodies; they move energy, they release emotion, they create space for connection. Dance helps communities rediscover rhythm after chaos. Whether it’s a group performance or a therapeutic workshop, movement allows people to reclaim their sense of control and possibility. You see that hope is not lost when you witness people smiling, crying, and breathing together during a performance.
9. What challenges have you faced in blending creative expression with environmental or social messages, and how have you overcome them?
One challenge has always been perception. Sometimes, people want to view dance as pure entertainment-glamorous, removed from “serious” issues. That movement could actually carry a message about sustainability or mental health was not an idea that would fly either.
I overcame that by focusing on storytelling. The goal isn’t to preach, but to evoke emotion. When you tell stories through rhythm and motion, people feel them before they understand them. And once the emotional connection’s made, the message naturally follows. Now, audiences come expecting more than choreography-they come seeking meaning.
10. How do you involve your students and performers in understanding the link between art, responsibility, and sustainability?
I had always said at Dancing Battalion that an artist is also a messenger. During rehearsals, we often have discussions on current issues: from mental health to environmental change. We encourage research, questioning, and introspection before they begin dancing.
We also practice sustainability in simple ways: reusing props and costumes, collaborating with local artisans for eco-friendly designs, and avoiding waste during productions. More importantly, I urge my students to think of dance as service-to use their art to uplift, to educate, and to build awareness wherever possible.
11. In your experience, how do you believe collaborations between artists, educators, and environmental advocates can create stronger community impact?
Collaboration is the heartbeat of meaningful change. When artists bring emotion, educators bring knowledge, and environmentalists bring purpose, the outcome is powerful. I have seen this in joint initiatives when schools, NGOs, and performance groups collaborate on awareness festivals or creative campaigns.
Every collaboration has a ripple effect: one artist inspires a classroom, one workshop sparks a neighbourhood project. Performing arts give soul to advocacy; they make abstract issues like climate change personal and urgent.
12. Lastly, what message would you want to send out to young artists and changemakers regarding the use of dance as a voice for sustainability, healing, and human resilience?
My message is simple: move with intention. Every step, every gesture, every rhythm can mean something if it comes from a place of awareness. As artists, we have the power to make people feel — and through that feeling comes transformation. No need to be afraid of merging art with activism or creativity with compassion. The world needs artists who can translate science into emotion and fear into hope. Sustainability isn’t only about protecting the planet; it’s about sustaining what makes us human: empathy, expression, and resilience. Through dance, we can remind the world that healing begins when we reconnect with ourselves, with each other, and with the Earth beneath our feet.