Mythili Kumar dedicated her life to the Abhinaya Dance Company, a South Indian dance troupe celebrating its 45th anniversary. She initially pursued a career in academia with master's degrees in food and nutrition before fully committing to the arts. Growing up, she studied dance, music, and art, inspired by her culture's emphasis on arts. Beginning her teaching career in 1980, she had her first production in 1986, and since then, hundreds of dancers have performed under her guidance. Kumar brings academic rigor to her art, ensuring cultural accuracy and introducing innovative themes in the U.S.
Learning an art form was really important for our communities. In my mother's old town in South India, at 5:30 in the morning you could hear children practicing their scales.
Pursuing anything other than science was considered not good. Both she and her sister deviated from the approved lane.
I'm very content-related, going back and reading, asking scholars in India and locally for meanings and interpretations.
The themes that she presented with Abhinaya Dance Company were new for people here in the United States.
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