Hi! My name is Nidhi Chillara, and it is truly a pleasure to meet you. I have devoted an entire two decades to rigorous training and practice in the arts. Here are some cherished snapshots from those formative days. Many of us who train in classical dance understand what it means to inhabit a character, a performance, or an emotion as a form of artistic expression. The closest comparison in the East is ballet or contemporary dance. This experience not only connected me more deeply to my inner self but also offered a vital space to expand, cultivate, and release multiple expressions of who I am as an extension of this lifetime and maybe others.
(1996), one of my first performances at a cultural center in Danbury, CT.
Wondering how many ways I could remember the sequence of dance steps. I loved posing back then and dressing up was way too much fun.
(2006), my graduating performance in Danbury, CT.
A bundle of nerves amidst a four-hour marathon. I looked into a crowd of people dancing to live music, but all the while, I wondered when the Gatorade would hit—a delicate balance between stamina and sequence. Backstage, and in between pieces, we would run behind the curtains, share high-fives, and try to stuff our mouths with Parle-G crackers.
(2009), performing in New Jersey with a new dance school.
Appearance was a massive part of competitive dancing, so the makeup needed to be on point. With seniority in experience, the jewelry was more ornate, including a traditional headset, necklaces, and nose rings. Depending on when you were performing, you would hang out in the green room and try to make sure you didn’t have to use the bathroom when in costume.
(2010), backstage before one of my first college team performances in Boston, MA.
Finally, I get to throw some glitter to the eyes, exploring fusion styles. Ah, the curiosity of a fresh undergraduate.
In the fundraising days, we would put together improv-style acts on different parts of campus and go out for team meals just after.
(2011), backstage during a tour in Andhra Pradesh, India.
I switched back into traditional mode with a shawl around my shoulders. The high bun meant business back then. Due to the distances musicians and dancers would travel, the pre-show was generally a somber but reflective time.
(2011), towards the end of tour in Andhra Pradesh, India.
At this point, fully enjoying myself in the art of performance. Less nerves, more flow. We were all glad it was the production we imagined.
Growing up in the United States, it was a full circle moment to perform in my birth state and that too in the company of esteemed guests.
Flow state is the time when you simply understand you are outside of yourself and in control of yourself.
(2015), my last performance with a dance school in Cleveland, Ohio.
Feeling like a natural dancer, after nearly nineteen years, hundreds of stage shows, and hundreds of hours practiced.
Above are the “big bill” hairstyle, necklaces, and double belts typically worn once matured into a classical dancer by traditional standards. After this time period, you pick and choose your next move.