Nidhi Ajaykumar Jadhav

BD2023

It has taken me a long time to truly grasp the duality within people—the way our behavior shifts depending on the situation. Breaking free from the confines of right and wrong, especially within myself, has been a personal journey of growth. Indian mythology, which I first encountered through Bharatanatyam, has played a huge role in shaping how I understand this complexity. The characters in these myths, once just fascinating stories, became mirrors for me to reflect on the internal battles we all face. As I’ve grown, I’ve come to realize that these characters—whether revered or misunderstood—are not so different from us. They embody the same struggles, contradictions, and desires that we experience in our own lives. 
 This project is an expression of my journey to understand identity, focusing on the masks we wear and the perceptions we create, building confidence in myself by bringing out my vulnerabilities to the world and myself. Central to this exploration is Alapadma, a hand gesture in Bharatanatyam symbolizing the lotus. As a child, I was taught that a dancer’s body opens up like the blooming lotus—a symbol of growth and transformation. The lotus, seen generally as a symbol of purity, beauty and elegance, has a more complex symbolism to its growth and survival. It grows from muddy waters into the flower that it becomes and thus it represents the coexistence of light and dark, good and bad in human experience. 
 Through dance, I seek to express the layers of duality within each of us, and like the lotus, emerge from the murky depths of confusion, embracing complexity, and uncovering the true essence of self.