"Where does life end and art begin? Who am I in my dance? What is my true personality? How do I
accomodate my life in my imagination which can be wider and wilder than reality?" mused Anita. "I
don’t feel beautiful all the time. In fact, some days, I wake up feeling really ugly!!"
The blurring of lines can uncover harsh, jagged contours, shattering the myths and perceived
notions of what is or should be appealing.
"UNRAVELLED was the result of my inner rebellion against beauty, symmetry and harmony. For
years I had been hammered into believing that these were the three qualities most important to be
a successful dancer. For years my inner revolt had been against these three tyrannical pillars.
Fuelled by the image of actress Jodie Foster in the movie NELL where she plays a dysfunctional
woman locked up for years in solitude, the choreography used the images of teteering on the edge
of a precipice, of nightmares, of a psychological limp and sexual bravado. All provocative impulses
normally not attempted by Indian dancers.
Helped by New York choreographer Jaan Freeman I completed UNRAVELLED and another dance
called THIS IS THE PICTURE based on six of my personal gestures. Whenever I have performed
these dances the reaction has been unanimous astonishment. How is it possible for a woman like
me who has a larger-than-life image in her country to actually make fun of herself? "Laugh and the
world laughs with you", my grandmother said in her own unique Tamil aphorism. By refusing to
become the perfectly manicured cover girl that media in India is determined to fashion me into, I
have given myself permission to fail and to continue my journey."
