Thumping stick on a wood block

Illustration and text: Anusha Raichur

I took Bharatanatyam lessons for a few years, when
I was younger. The
symmetrical choreography of the art form, the
refined vocabulary of its sign language, and
its interpretative narration, I found, had resonated with me—
the way that Bharatanatyam dancers dissolve their identity and
make their bodies a musical instrument for the expression of spirit. 
Someday soon I hope
to get back to a teacher who will be sitting on
an old mat, thumping a
stick on a wood block, 
while I strive to match the
beat.

Anusha Raichur is an illustrator based out of Bangalore. See more of her work on her Instagram.