Dancer and choreographer Shakti Mohan says that while dance is physically demanding and comes with a limited career span, her focus remains on celebrating the art form and nurturing the next generation through her initiatives. Speaking about the pressures dancers face in a profession where the body itself is the primary instrument, Shakti says she prefers to view the journey positively rather than as a struggle. “Dance is definitely physically demanding, but it’s a beautiful art form, and I love it. I celebrate it every single day. I don’t see it as a challenge; I see each day as a game I have to figure out. The rules keep changing,” she said.Reflecting on how the body evolves with time, Shakti says, “In your 20s, you can throw your body anywhere and not feel a thing. Now, when you perform, you realise you have to take care of everything, you need to stretch more, ice more, do physiotherapy and so on. It comes with a lot of maintenance. Like anything new you buy, it’s all fresh at first, but over time it requires more care.”Despite the industry’s constant conversation around staying relevant, she believes her priority lies elsewhere. “As for staying relevant in the profession, all I care about is continuing to do what I love. What matters more to me is giving back to the community through my dance academy. That is far more important than staying relevant. My love for dance is greater than any need to remain relevant in the profession. If you’re doing good work, I believe people recognise it and give you love.”She adds, “Relevance is something I don’t know how you gain or lose. As for insecurities, I feel secure within myself. I think that’s a personal thing, it doesn’t come from outside validation or awards. I’m very happy with what I’m creating, and I don’t allow myself to feel otherwise.”
