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Member Spotlight: Q&A with Palak Dhiman

Who is Palak Dhiman in a sentence?

Palak Dhiman is an independent kathak dance artist, choreographer, and educator who explores rhythm, storytelling, and embodied expression through the foundations of Indian classical dance.

Tell us a bit about your work and practice.

My work and practice emerge through the spirit of kathak, the classical storytelling dance form of northern India. Kathak is a holistic practice that integrates the mathematics of rhythm, physical conditioning, and emotional expression. Through this form, I continue to discover the body’s infinite potential for expression, connection, and communication.

My practice also involves understanding related art forms and how they interweave with one another. Advanced training in kathak is an ongoing, lifelong process, and I recently completed a course in Natya Shastra based movement, deepening my understanding of the ancient theoretical foundations that inform my dance form. Alongside this, I have studied the foundations of rhythm (taal vidya) and begun dhrupad vocal training  to better understand the principles of raga and its role in music, storytelling and expression. My work is driven by a desire to explore kathak through a personal lens, contributing my own perspective while remaining rooted in living-tradition.

How long have you been dancing?

My training in kathak began more than 30 years ago. Along the way, I’ve had opportunities to explore other movement forms, which have enriched my movement vocabulary and helped me understand my primary form more deeply. Throughout these explorations, kathak remained my constant. This long-term relationship has taught me the value of sustained learning and revealed the incredible depth, complexity, and variation within a single art form. Kathak is truly a discipline that a lifetime is not enough to fully explore.

How does dance fit into your life currently – are there any upcoming projects you want to share with us? 

It’s a dream come true to do this professionally and be able to say that I am an independent kathak dance artist. Right now I am involved in dance as an educator and currently teach in downtown Vancouver, New Westminster and Coquitlam. In addition I am keeping up my own practice and explorations of kathak with the guidance of my lifelong guru and mentor Usha Sharma (Winnipeg), while supplementing my knowledge by training in other art forms as well. My upcoming projects emerged organically through my more recent training in the last few years and involve experimenting with how Natya Shastra karana movements can be effectively blended with kathak, as well as also exploring how Kathak as a movement form can be used to give physical expressions to the music of the dhrupad style.

How would you describe dance’s impact on your life?

Dance has helped me understand myself more deeply. It has shown me the power of discipline and consistency, as well as the experience of being fully immersed in something that can be both grounding and transporting. Dance has been a way for me to process emotions and develop my creative voice over time. It has had a profound impact on my mental health, and during the pandemic, my relationship with kathak deepened even further, becoming an anchor and a source of inspiration.

What three core values drive your engagement with dance? 

Integrity, Growth, and Uniqueness

Do you have a particular practice that you carry out each day or have you implemented new practices over these last few years?

My daily practice is about valuing consistency above all else. This includes beginning each day with yoga and meditation, and then delving into technical Kathak training, rhythmic exploration, and reflection, along with vocal practice, reading, and listening. In recent years, I’ve also incorporated practices that support sustainability and slowing down, listening to my body, and allowing space for research and integration rather than only output.

What would you say are the most significant benefits for you in being a Dance Centre member?

The Dance Centre offers an important space where dance is centralized, and supported. Having access to a physical space that is home to diverse dance forms and active programming helps to promote connection, visibility, and artistic exchange, making it an invaluable resource for the dance community. As someone still fairly new to the Lower Mainland, the Dance Centre was one of the first places that I visited and has become a significant resource for me to develop my art in my new home city.

Palak’s Member Profile
Website
Instagram

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Photos: FUZD Media