Page 20 - MASALA LITE ISSUE 80 | MAY 2017

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Meet
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BY KRISHNA MAWANI
The connection between Indians and ballet has never been a strong one. Many
have tried but none have lasted. However, nine years ago, one 30 year-old Indian
expat was determined to break this stereotype. When Aarti Saikia fi rst read the
words, “there are no Indians doing ballet in Bangkok” in a newspaper interview
with Ms. Fay Pansringarm, director of Rising Star Dance Studio, her curiosity
reached an all-time high. Aarti was in shock. How could this be true, considering
the large number of Indian expats and locals settled in Bangkok? She knew she
had to go to the ballet studio and see for herself. She signed up for her fi rst ballet
class that day, and hasn’t looked back since. Despite the three ankle injuries,
exhaustion and demanding classes, Aarti talks about her ballet experience with a
fi erce passion as we sit down for a face-to-face interview.
I asked the graceful ballerina what her biggest is a “dance between words”. She says, “One of the
challenges were when learning ballet. She said, “I was most important things as a human is being able to
introduced to a totally diff erent style. I was learning express yourself. And how do you do that? Through
from scratch, which was also to my advantage. I was the arts.” Her bare words became beautiful stanzas
just so open to learning and there was nothing I had in poems. Her classical dance moves were fused with “It’s not about one
to unlearn fi rst. I used to get physically tired. It was contemporary music and translated into stylised
challenging, but I never looked at it as negative. I’m a choreographed college performances. Her thoughts performance, it’s about
curious learner. I want to learn more and that’s what were transformed in to charcoal drawings.
keeps me going.” This mother of two is not only an avid As her journey progressed, Aarti’s belief became sustained performances.
ballerina, but also a trained classical Indian dancer, stronger in the power of expressive arts to support I’m trying to link up all my
vocalist, artist and poet. In the words of Aarti herself, sustainable development. Her time spent working as
she is a creative expressionist. a volunteer in New Delhi with the NGO Maximising knowledge, experience and
The journey of this creative expressionist began Employment to Serve the Handicapped had a deep
at an early stage. Aarti was raised in India, in a family impact. It instilled a passion for social and sustainable education in development
of creative individuals. Her upbringing fostered her development in her. She not only wanted to empower
artistic pursuits and an empathetic soul. She shared the handicapped community, but also to ensure the and sustainable livelihoods
a love for words with her family. For her, language same level of development even when she wasn’t there with the creative paths. I
or, in other words, make it sustainable. And she was
successful. The community is still moving on with the really believe that art has a
work she started. Aarti went on to work in the United
Nations in New Delhi and Rome with her husband, big impact on individual and
Anshuman, after completing her Master’s in Political
Science and a Post Graduate specialisation in social development.”
International Human Rights, Humanitarian and
Refugee Laws. The family moved from Rome to Sri
Lanka, and then to Bangkok after the birth of their in January and April 2017 at Alliance Française. The
son in 2008. show is a live showcase of international artists, in
Aarti quit her job in the UN, but she didn’t let her poetry, dance, music and visual performances, who are
passion for the arts and sustainable development take all interconnected through one theme. Performed in
a backseat. Her focus is now on making the creative April, SoulVilla saw 10 artists (including Aarti) come
arts sustainable and keeping the wheel of progression together on the stage to explore organic language
spinning. “It’s not about one performance, it’s about negotiations. The success of the show and her desire
sustained performances. I’m trying to link up all my to keep the wheel moving forward promise more
knowledge, experience and education in development artistic endeavours ahead from Aarti, but she is giving
and sustainable livelihoods with the creative paths. I nothing away just yet. For now, she is happy living in the
really believe that art has a big impact on individual moment and embracing the Thai culture of sabai sabai.
and social development.” This imaginative thinker
continues to write and recite thought-provoking
poems, learn and perform ballet, and teach art as a Born in the arms of imagination,
healing method for children and adults who fi nd it Throwing colours on my white canvas
diffi cult to openly express themselves. She explains, My life - defi antly diff erent,
“There are no miracles. You can be mindful of your Growing, but not in the shadows.
emotion and appropriately express it. Through colours, — Aarti Saikia
you can convey that emotion.”
Last year, Aarti decided to spin the wheel one To get in touch with Aarti or learn about her creative
more time, and came out more satisfi ed. The child of endeavours, email her at aartisaikia@gmail.com or
her inventive genius and months of dedication led to visit her Facebook page Arty’s Art.
SoulVilla, two original theatre productions performed
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