DIDIHOOD ~ Issue 46

We can't believe it's already the end of 2021! Although we didn't get a chance to hold in-person events this year, we had the opportunity to host some virtual spaces and still bring this amazing community together. We kicked off the year with our panel on how to become a freelancer, where we heard from freelance journalists and PR professionals on best practices! Then we co-hosted an event with Harbour West Consulting on how to become leaders in your workplace. Finally, we hosted an excellent panel featuring some of the talented South Asians in Canadian Film & TV! And of course, our mentorship program had another successful year running virtually across Canada! It's always fun to reflect on the past year, and we're already excited about what's to come in the new year! 

This year, we were also lucky to have the support of Maneesha Jaswal, who volunteered her time as our social media coordinator! Maneesha is a BComm graduate, specializing in Marketing and International Business. She has a passion for graphic design and is working towards a career in communications. She also loves makeup and baking, which she shares on her Instagram.
She is excited to continue volunteering with Didihood in the new year! Thank you, Maneesha! 


Meet the Didi:

In the last Meet the Didi interview of 2021, we chatted with Anita Vijay, the artistic director of the Abhinayam Dance Network (ADN) which is based in Toronto. Through ADN, Anita has connected with several artists around the world with funding initiatives for artistic projects. Her work through advocacy in the arts has led her to sit down with several policy makers in Canada to discuss funding accessibility, housing and health policies for artists. Currently, Anita is working with her theatre company for a feature project that will be set to premiere in 2025. When she isn’t dancing, Anita loves to spend time with her family, friends, and dogs.

Tell us about yourself and your journey with Indian classical dance:

At the age of four, I was enrolled into a local dance school with the goal of connecting more with my heritage. Being from a small community, teachers and organizers would often place me in as many performances as possible. Every year following that, for more than a decade, my weekends were spent doing nothing but this for every summer. 

It wasn’t until my early twenties that I fell in love with Bharatanatyam, Kathak, and Odissi and then chose to pursue it professionally. Since then, I’ve been blessed enough to travel the world and share my art but there was still one sore spot I could never get rid of. That of this image of being the token “cultural” dancer. I was born in Canada, but amongst the arts community I was classified as a South Asian that lived in Canada. I was never allowed to just be an artist that was independent of all of this. My art could not speak for itself. 

To erase that stigma, I began focusing my efforts on re-educating artists outside of my existing dance circle. This led me to create and produce my own shows that were outside of South-Asian themes but still using Indian classical movements. Eventually I began Abhinayam Dance Network in 2017 to shift focus completely on the dance scene in North America. More recently, I’ve also had the opportunity to work in films as a choreographer and as a cultural consultant to ensure that diversity is represented authentically. 

Why did you start Abhinayam Dance Network?  

When I was just beginning my artistic career, I had to make the difficult decision to walk away from an extremely toxic dance environment. Which in turn meant leaving behind all the people I knew within my circle. As a result, I no longer had access to the funding or fundraising initiatives I once did. I was forced to look for grants and private funding from arts organizations, but at the time had little success. 

The Indian classical dance industry is not regulated like the European dance industries in Canada. Which meant that to continue pursuing my goals, I was forced to identify as a cultural artist that performed to a community audience rather than a mainstream one. European dance styles produce artists that have the opportunity to create relevant choreography that can represent both themselves, their community, or anything else they choose to. With these pre-existing conditions, it meant I would never have access to mainstream audiences so to get around this, I began producing my own work. 

As a young adult, I worked three different jobs, which included teaching dance in another province to fund my own initiatives. Along the way, I began funding other artistic projects from fellow artists. This naturally grew into my own network of artists and work. I decided to make it official by starting Abhinayam Dance Network (ADN). ADN empowers Indian classical artists by offering them opportunities that will further their artistic careers. I take extra care to not duplicate opportunities that already exist in the industry because I firmly believe offering the same opportunities as other organizations would not serve in the best interest of artists. Our programming strives to ensure the obstacles for artists are removed and encourages them to participate and create so that their art can speak for itself. #LetArtSpeakForItself 

Why is it important for Indian classical dancers to have a safe space?

Every artist should have access to a safe space to create. The arts industry can be a very unpredictable place and, in some cases, extremely toxic. Artists tend to face bullying, body shaming, shadeism, casteism, and anti-Black sentiment daily. Indian classical dancers and other cultural dance artists in particular, face an overwhelming amount of abuse in the mainstream arena. This goes all the way back to the days of colonialism. And the current framework for success within the mainstream cultural dance world is still in support of these ideals. It doesn't like change, it’s meant to restrict us, and keep the status quo. 

To be more specific, dancers need a safe space to be free from colonialism, caste, and any other forms of discrimination. Indian classical dancers who want to create within their traditional or non-traditional themes need access to these spaces where they can heal from the colonial abuse and community caste abuses. This can allow the industry to grow and evolve. 

What's next for Abhinayam? Where do you see it going in 2022? 

Abhinayam will continue its artistic development programming. However, our initiatives will be expanding into online artist residencies. Along with this, we will be leading a Dance Summit that will allow artists and policy makers to sit together to discuss the future of the arts. I am looking forward to a post-pandemic era for the arts. 

Do you have any advice for Didis who are pursuing a career in dance? 

Do it. However, ensure that your purpose is clear. Many artists fizzle out because of the shortcomings that can occur while becoming an artist. It’s important to have your purpose guide you during the good moments and the bad moments. You’re not too old, or too young, to begin this journey. Access to training, teachers and content is now almost all online due to the pandemic and this digital world of training is here to stay. You can now train with anyone around the world, those that are outside your network as well. All while at your own pace and in privacy. This is the best time to embrace your artistic side. ​

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Thank you everyone for your support this year, it means the world to us!
We're excited for what's to come in 2022!

— Roohi Sahajpal
Issue 46
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