ARTIST STATEMENT
As a Bharatanatyam dancer, konnakol (verbal percussion) performer, mridangam (two- headed drum) percussionist, and rapper, I thrive in the intersection of communities. I enjoy merging these diverse disciplines to push the boundaries of traditional music and dance while addressing contemporary issues.
The Puppeteer’s Metamorphosis is a collaboration between Maya Rau-Murthy, Meena Chen, and Mrinaalika Sivakumar. We uniquely fuse Bharatanatyam, konnakol, rap, and the sarangi to paint the repercussions of the bystander effect on women surviving gender- based violence: They call us weak if we are quiet, attention-seeking if we speak, and at fault due to our karma. Do they expect us to be their puppet, bearing blame for evil committed by the perpetrator and a society that silently watches while eating popcorn? In time, we too might emerge from this ordeal as transformed puppeteers.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Maya Rau-Murthy is a Konnakol artist (verbal percussion), Bharatanatyam dancer (Indian Classical Dance), rapper, mridangist, composer, performer, choreographer, and co-director of Natya Anubhava Academy based in New York. She has performed widely nationally and internationally as have her compositions and choreographies, including in the National Gallery of Art in DC with Akshara Ensemble, United Nations, Seva Sadan Malleswaram, Drive East, SafeHouse Arts, New York City Hall, Jewish Museum, Hammond Museum, Javits Center, Smith Center, Stanford University. Her artistic journey over the past decade has centered around fostering community conversations around social justice. She uses the multi-disciplinary productions she directs, combining rap, rhythmic composition, choreography, and dance performance, as a medium for dialogue.
Her production, “Anyatha Naasti: Dreams of the Other,” explores the harmful effects of ‘othering’ and the importance of our interconnectedness for global peace. “Janani: Ode to Mother Earth” addresses our environmental responsibility. “Ardhanareeshwara: Shattering the Construct of Gender,” draws on Ardhanareeswara, the gender-fluid embodiment of Shiva and Parvati, to challenge restrictive gender roles. She has co-taught over 40 students and co-trained over 10 for their solo debuts. She is a disciple of her mother, Dr. Nalini Rau for Bharatanatyam, Sri Balaskandan for mridangam, Smt. Ranjani Veni Madhavan for Carnatic vocal, Smt. Ashwini Srivatsan for the Natya Shastra and the Karnas, and Sri Rakesh Sai Babu for Chhau. artist’s website | instagram
Meena Chen (they/them) is a queer, biracial, multimedia storyteller focused on the intersection of art, activism, spirituality, and identity. They work across mediums such as music, visual art, and dance, and center their art on healing and community-building through spiritual practice, event-planning, and teaching. As a performer, they are known by their full name – Meenakshi 陳美明 – an homage to their mixed ancestral and cultural influences. They graduated from Swarthmore College in 2021 with a major in Environmental Studies and double minor in Religion and Dance, and have been working as a freelance performing artist and creator ever since. In Philadelphia, from 2022-2023, they danced as a company dancer and choreographer with AniMalayaworks. Now they currently live in NY where they are an educator, performer, and choreographer at Natya Anubhava Dance. artist’s website | instagram
Mrinaalika Sivakumar (she/her) is an award-winning multi-media artist and bharatanatyam dancer. Mrinaalika is a choreographer at Natya Anubhava Dance, known for leading an award-winning collegiate bharatanatyam team and for performing Ardhanareeshwara: Shattering the Construct of Gender. As an artist, she has been recognized by the City of Boston’s Artist Grant Program for her work in local publications and city-wide murals. Mrinaalika has also done graphic design work with large brands such as Nike and NBA, as well as with justice initiatives such as NEXTDistro. Mrinaalika also works as a housing and substance-use specialist, supporting operations and mitigating the needs of homeless populations in Boston. artist’s website | instagram
© Maya Rau-Murthy