[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
here I stand at the crossroads of two
very busy streets not quite here not
quite there however still finding a
sense of belonging on both sides
I’m Aishwarya I my shoe I’m Indian I’m
American I’m a storyteller and since the
age of four
I’ve been taught and trained to not only
use my words but use the elements of
Petelin Actium an ancient classical
Indian dance art form to tell stories
upon immigrating to the u.s. at the age
of three
my parents had admit my elder sister and
I stay connected to our classical roots
sent my sister to her first higher than
artheon class I still recall being an
inquisitive child of three peeping
behind the curtains of my sister studio
watching intricately as she sat in the
ara Mundi or squatting physician I was
enamored by it all
I would spread my tiny legs apart as far
as they would go listen to the teachers
beats and repeat they yeah they to try
and keep up it started off as an earnest
and eager request to my mother mom I
would say can I join – my mother would
patiently sit me down and say your legs
are too tiny and your arms too weak wait
as you grow older and you become
stronger than you too
can join your sister I was not having it
and after a year of using all the
leverage my three-year-old mind could
think of such as refusing to eat or
speak to anyone eventually my parents
gave in victorious in my pursuit I was
youngest at age 4 to learn farther than
a key informant did I know then that I
would be learning so much more than just
a classical dance art form higher than
Actium has shaped and continues to shape
how I navigate these crossroads I call
my identity you see I’m not quite Indian
I went to elementary school through
college in the u.s. I like french fries
and Taco Bell and I listened to ASAP
Rocky and Travis Scott much to my
mother’s chagrin at the same time I’m
not quite American I spend my weekends
at Hindu temples cricket is way better
than football and run veer sting is way
more dreaming than Brad Pitt’s
but simply my identity is complicated
and part of Actium as a storytelling
medium empowers me to communicate that
complexity ironically telling the
stories of others empowers me to share
mine you see through part of the ITM I’m
able to stay connected with my Indian
heritage and culture and through that
I’m able to break perceived Western
stereotypes associated with Indian women
and showcase them for what they’ve
always been strong resilient protective
and proactive at the same time rather
than a team enhances my American and
Western identity through the elements of
Harlan ITM I have to deeply think about
presenting complex narratives into easy
understand motions I often have to think
from perspectives of characters that I
have no concept of characters of
different race different religion
different genders
and even different species I mean the
amount of times I’ve depicted a peacock
or a bee is immeasurable this sense of
empathy I’ve learned through Harlan
Actium has manifested in so many
different ways and specifically allows
me to resonate with the stories they may
not directly pertain to me but are so
important to me to take a stance on such
as the black lives matter movement
discussions around the me2 movement as
it relates to both the US and in India
as well as expressing my thoughts on
female empowerment
you see storytelling for me is all about
empathy about using empathy to tell a
story whether written on page or
performed on stage or more importantly
about developing empathy about taking
the time to listen to a narrative that’s
outside of your own in the digital age
of today websites and politicians know
that outrage equals eyeballs we digest
information through headlines gravitate
towards data in holes and inevitably
we’ve been trained to disengage and be
desensitized it’s easy in an era of
provocative tweets inflammatory Facebook
posts and controversial reddit threads
to want to shut down and tune out it’s
becoming harder and harder to stand up
and show up because words can’t fully
encapsulate
as polarization continues to grow around
the US and the world we paint with
broader brushes removing the individual
stories that make up a population we
face pressures from our family our
friends our workplace and even ourselves
to conform and water down versions of
ourselves and eventually we become those
versions but in the wise words of
Michelle Obama our story is all we’ve
got now I’m not suggesting everyone here
Google when the nears the part of the
document studio has an open class no
instead I’d like to urge you to take an
extra moment to listen to narratives
that are unfamiliar to your own as well
as find your own part of the item and
tell your own store
what I’ve learned is a storyteller is
that stories can be told in so many
different ways and not just through
words through art through music through
poetry how someone rushes to read an old
friend or how we embraced a loved one
we’re always telling stories and while
I’m not suggesting stories we’ll solve
the complex problems we face today they
at least can help us to start asking the
right questions today I’d like to tell
you three it is a story of the goddess
Devi who to me symbolizes all the
attributes of a woman she’s soft and
gentle
she’s a mother and a nurturer empowering
all those around her she’s also strength
personified legend goes she mounts her
lion and avenges the murder of millions
by killing the demon mahisha to me the
symbolizes so much more Devi is my
strength and femininity conquering my
inner demons and vices showing me that
no matter how hard it may be I will
stand up I will show up and I will tell
Oh hanging sri srimad a
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
[Applause] [Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
here I stand at the crossroads of two
very busy streets not quite here not
quite there however still finding a
sense of belonging on both sides
I’m Aishwarya I my shoe I’m Indian I’m
American I’m a storyteller and since the
age of four
I’ve been taught and trained to not only
use my words but use the elements of
Petelin Actium an ancient classical
Indian dance art form to tell stories
upon immigrating to the u.s. at the age
of three
my parents had admit my elder sister and
I stay connected to our classical roots
sent my sister to her first higher than
artheon class I still recall being an
inquisitive child of three peeping
behind the curtains of my sister studio
watching intricately as she sat in the
ara Mundi or squatting physician I was
enamored by it all
I would spread my tiny legs apart as far
as they would go listen to the teachers
beats and repeat they yeah they to try
and keep up it started off as an earnest
and eager request to my mother mom I
would say can I join – my mother would
patiently sit me down and say your legs
are too tiny and your arms too weak wait
as you grow older and you become
stronger than you too
can join your sister I was not having it
and after a year of using all the
leverage my three-year-old mind could
think of such as refusing to eat or
speak to anyone eventually my parents
gave in victorious in my pursuit I was
youngest at age 4 to learn farther than
a key informant did I know then that I
would be learning so much more than just
a classical dance art form higher than
Actium has shaped and continues to shape
how I navigate these crossroads I call
my identity you see I’m not quite Indian
I went to elementary school through
college in the u.s. I like french fries
and Taco Bell and I listened to ASAP
Rocky and Travis Scott much to my
mother’s chagrin at the same time I’m
not quite American I spend my weekends
at Hindu temples cricket is way better
than football and run veer sting is way
more dreaming than Brad Pitt’s
but simply my identity is complicated
and part of Actium as a storytelling
medium empowers me to communicate that
complexity ironically telling the
stories of others empowers me to share
mine you see through part of the ITM I’m
able to stay connected with my Indian
heritage and culture and through that
I’m able to break perceived Western
stereotypes associated with Indian women
and showcase them for what they’ve
always been strong resilient protective
and proactive at the same time rather
than a team enhances my American and
Western identity through the elements of
Harlan ITM I have to deeply think about
presenting complex narratives into easy
understand motions I often have to think
from perspectives of characters that I
have no concept of characters of
different race different religion
different genders
and even different species I mean the
amount of times I’ve depicted a peacock
or a bee is immeasurable this sense of
empathy I’ve learned through Harlan
Actium has manifested in so many
different ways and specifically allows
me to resonate with the stories they may
not directly pertain to me but are so
important to me to take a stance on such
as the black lives matter movement
discussions around the me2 movement as
it relates to both the US and in India
as well as expressing my thoughts on
female empowerment
you see storytelling for me is all about
empathy about using empathy to tell a
story whether written on page or
performed on stage or more importantly
about developing empathy about taking
the time to listen to a narrative that’s
outside of your own in the digital age
of today websites and politicians know
that outrage equals eyeballs we digest
information through headlines gravitate
towards data in holes and inevitably
we’ve been trained to disengage and be
desensitized it’s easy in an era of
provocative tweets inflammatory Facebook
posts and controversial reddit threads
to want to shut down and tune out it’s
becoming harder and harder to stand up
and show up because words can’t fully
encapsulate
as polarization continues to grow around
the US and the world we paint with
broader brushes removing the individual
stories that make up a population we
face pressures from our family our
friends our workplace and even ourselves
to conform and water down versions of
ourselves and eventually we become those
versions but in the wise words of
Michelle Obama our story is all we’ve
got now I’m not suggesting everyone here
Google when the nears the part of the
document studio has an open class no
instead I’d like to urge you to take an
extra moment to listen to narratives
that are unfamiliar to your own as well
as find your own part of the item and
tell your own store
what I’ve learned is a storyteller is
that stories can be told in so many
different ways and not just through
words through art through music through
poetry how someone rushes to read an old
friend or how we embraced a loved one
we’re always telling stories and while
I’m not suggesting stories we’ll solve
the complex problems we face today they
at least can help us to start asking the
right questions today I’d like to tell
you three it is a story of the goddess
Devi who to me symbolizes all the
attributes of a woman she’s soft and
gentle
she’s a mother and a nurturer empowering
all those around her she’s also strength
personified legend goes she mounts her
lion and avenges the murder of millions
by killing the demon mahisha to me the
symbolizes so much more Devi is my
strength and femininity conquering my
inner demons and vices showing me that
no matter how hard it may be I will
stand up I will show up and I will tell
Oh hanging sri srimad a
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
[Applause] [Music]
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