Dancing through adversity to bring light to others

KAVITHA KRISHNAN, 53
Maya Dance Theatre co-founder and artistic director

Her world came crashing down when she suffered a spinal injury at 21 years old.

Ms Kavitha had to endure an 11-hour surgery for spondylolysis, in which a crushed intervertebral disc protruded out and pressed onto her nerves. Gone were the days of sports like netball and hockey seven days a week. Doctors even said she could never return to her life-long passion of dance.

But her grit put her back on her feet after eight months of rehabilitation.

Today, she is co-founder, artistic director and resident choreographer of Maya Dance Theatre, a non-profit arts company specialising in works with societal themes. Ms Kavitha also started Diverse Abilities Dance Collective, where individuals with disabilities co-exist with professionals to stage productions and inspire one another. 

Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do. What drew you to this path?

I've been in the arts since I was three years old. I started to perform locally and it brought lots of joy, not just to me, but to the audience as well. 

What drew me to the arts was my mother. She loved to dance but my grandfather told her that as the oldest child, she needed to get an education and work to support the family. I think the arts were always in her heart, that's So she chose what was needed. I think this was something that she held very close to her heart, that's why she sent me to learn dance and my brother to learn the merdangam, a South Indian drum instrument. 

Although I wanted to pursue the arts, my mother felt that it was just as important that I got my education.

I became a qualified occupational therapist with a major in mental health. I've also worked in the senior care and special needs setting.

What’s unique about Maya Dance Theatre is that we shed light on social issues and discuss societal topics through dance. For example, we invited my former clients from the Singapore Association for Mental Health Creative Hub to collaborate with us through their paintings to give us an understanding of their mental health space, which we then translated into a dance theatre production.

I tapped my occupational therapy philosophy when we started Diverse Abilities Dance Collective in 2018. I gathered the resources neede to enable individuals in this space to grow their artistic pursuit. We use dance as a tool to improve their independent skills and work with them as well as their caregivers.

When I could merge my profession with my passion to offer what the community needed, I felt I was in the right place.

What's the biggest challenge you face in your day-to-day work?

Getting resources and the right funding, getting the right people to come onboard and work with us. Younger people, especially. They come, but they have got very short-term gratification and then they leave. 

Burnout is something which I am worried about as well. Because if I get to that space where I don't want to do it anymore, then I'm afraid that I may not want to continue.

My husband Imran and I feel that we have been chosen to do what we are doing, so we are just walking the path that's laid out for us, together with our team. But what really helps me to continue is the team's resilience. Their smiles are infectious. They are so highly grateful, very generous and extremely kind. Why would I not want to be in this space with them?

What's the most rewarding aspect of your work?

Seeing my team members become professionals. 

The Dance Collective has opened its space beyond dance to give my team that empowerment, the space to believe they can. I have known them for 25 years, so when you ask what's next, it's to see them, on their own merits and in their own rights, to live the life that they want.

I'm very proud to say that today they own their space. They're so welcoming and generous to allow people in. We are ready, not just for Singapore, but we are ready to take it beyond borders.

How do you see your work contributing to the Singapore landscape?

We artists are not just for the stage. We are beyond the stage and we are part of the community. We are able to pulsate with the community to bring joy and empathy, to co-share creative space, and also to give the dignity that Singapore deserves through the arts. We are an identity-building space.

I've gathered gems of friends by just being in the arts and travelling. I've gone to six cities in Italy to perform solo, representing Singapore. I was also part of an Asean flagship programme for a few years, representing the Republic.

I think no other profession would have offered me this space to say that the global space is where I belong. I'm very proud to take Singapore along with me from a very young age, because Singapore has given me a lot and this is one way for me, together with my team, to give back.

What's a favourite Singapore memory you cherish?

I am very drawn to the historical places in Singapore. I don't want them to change. I'm okay if we restore them, but I don't want them to be pulled down. That sense of belonging to a space is what I cherish most.

You know where Laselle is? There used to be shophouses there and it’s where I grew up. My memory of dance began when I used to hear the Chinese drums playing. My mum told me that I would want to mimic the lion dance but because I did not have the costume, I would put a towel on my head and dance to the rhythms of the drums.

I have friends who are not from my heritage or cultural background to be there for me. And my dancers themselves, like Shahrin, Sufri, Sheridan, Subastian. All the names that I'm mentioning, none of them are similar to Kavitha Krishnan. They don't come from the same cultural background as me. But they respectfully learn bharatanatyam, which is the Indian classical dance that I teach. And I think I can't get it anywhere else, where we don't see anything different from one another. We're very respectful of each other's space.

What’s your favourite Singapore dish?

Chicken rice and Hokkien mee. When I was younger, my dad used to take me to Mackenzie Road a lot. There used to be this uncle from the first shop who would cook Hokkien mee and char kway teow outside. The chicken rice was served inside. 

What makes you the proudest about being Singaporean?

She has a space for everyone. Whether it's our seniors or a young person or someone disabled or a foreigner, she's very gracious in embracing everyone.

What is your hope for Singapore?

I'm just hoping that she will hold on to her past and enable transformations to take place at the same time, while being a safe space for everyone. She is a safe space and that's why I think I can go around late at night doing what I want to do as a female, which I sometimes forget when I'm in a foreign country and I do the same.

Today, I can see that there are many opportunities that are offered and there are more respectful moments that are co-shared.

Singapore has come a long way from the yesteryears and she has a lot to offer. And I think she can continue to offer that safety and graciousness to embrace everyone.

Words of advice or inspiration for fellow Singaporeans?

I think everyone goes through hard times. It’s never always a bed of roses. But just don't give up. Go find what makes you very passionate. What makes me very passionate is my ability to put smiles on people's faces through what I do.

So just don't give up. Talk to somebody if you have a problem. Keep a listening ear and create a space bound by love and respect for yourself, and pursue your dreams. We are given one life. So enjoy it with those you love and bring the best to the space.