Hello! Today I will be talking about an experience that I will never forget. I was honored to be able to meet and interview Mallika Sarabhai, the director of Darpana Academy. Darpana Academy is a school for the performing arts in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. However, Darpana is no ordinary performing arts school.
The School was founded by Mrinalini Sarabhai and Vikram Sarabhai in 1949. Mrinalini Sarabhai was one of the first women to perform Kathakali– an Indian folk dance primarily performed by all men dance groups. She also introduced another folk dance called Bharatanatyam, which was only performed in temples to select audiences, to the general public of India and made it easier for individuals to unlock their potential in the performing arts. The influential acts of Mrinalini Sarabhai are endless, however one of the aspects of her career that stands out is her incorporation of battling social problems within her performances and choreography.
I read Mrinalini Sarabhai’s book, “Creations”, where she highlights performances that she has done and dives deep into their meanings and impacts. While I was reading, one performance called “Memory is a Ragged Fragment of Eternity” stuck out to me the most. She talks about how she would read about the domestic violence women would go through everyday in the newspaper, and she reflects upon the feelings of anguish and sadness these stories would make her feel. However, she then goes on to talk about how she let those emotions fuse with her dancing in order to send a message. This performance is one of the many examples where she uses dancing to send deeper messages about social injustices.
Vikram Sarabhai is also an incredibly influential figure in Indian history. He was a physicist known as the father of the Indian space program. He established the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and helped develop nuclear power in India. He started the project for the first Indian Satellite that was put in orbit in 1975.
Overall, Vikram and Mrinalini Sarabhai are very substantial figures of India and they left legacies that will be remembered forever.
Darpana Academy is a school that teaches many types of classes in dancing, singing, and performing. India has such a rich history in all of these genres, so Darpana academy focuses on teaching as many art forms as possible. Darpana focuses on not only technique, but also teaching about India’s culture through these arts. The school has a specific section focused on Indian history and the history of Mrinalini Sarabhai. The school also has a theater which uses water flow to power it. The school fulfills all the needs of performers including practice rooms, dressing rooms, and more. The school focuses on being able to reach all classes of people, offering grants and scholarships to poverty-stricken individuals. The school teaches to all age groups and values inclusivity.
While visiting the academy, I was overwhelmed by the culture radiating from all aspects of the school. From the tiles on the ground to the pictures hanging on the walls, it was evident that the founders and staff put their blood, sweat, and tears into making sure the culture of performative arts lives on in Gujarat.
Getting to tour the academy was amazing, but being able to talk to Mallika Sarabhai– the director of the Academy since the last three decades– was even more incredible. In my next blog post I will be talking about her and introducing topics talked about in the interview. I hope you enjoyed learning about Darpana and its astounding founders. See you all next time!
Kommentare