Govind

🪔 About

At the age of six, Govind started to learn classical Indian dance from his older sister. Many years later, when his sister became a survivor of domestic violence, Govind set up Karma Dance, as a means to help her heal through dancing. This story of family, tradition and creating new stories through dance are the many layers that make up this gorgeous human being. We were living in Papua New Guinea at the time. I was six years old and my older sister used to take classical dance lessons. It looked so beautiful and athletic. I saw how the students spent so much time together in class, laughing and hugging. At home, I would ask my sister to teach me her dance steps. My mum saw this unfold for a few months and then asked me if I would like to join. And I was enrolled. Coming from a traditional family, was it a big step to send the son to a classical Indian dance class? It was a big step. My parents had to navigate this as much as I did over the years. Enrolling me as a young boy was fine but after a certain age it starts getting a bit different. Tell us about your dance journey. Because we moved around a lot, I didn’t get continuity of training. I ended up self-teaching myself till I was about 18. I would find videos or pieces on TV that I could learn from. This continued for a long time until I finally decided that I loved it too much. At age 20, I went and sought out a teacher in Sydney. When I arrived at Hamsa aunty’s doorstep, I was a dancer who had a deep love for the dance but didn’t have the craftsmanship. I don’t think I would have pursued dance so heavily if I hadn’t found Hamsa aunty, who is so rooted in tradition but is open enough to work with someone who hasn’t had a traditional pathway. It was a real case of when the student is ready, the teacher arrives. I’ve been with Hamsa aunty for 17 years now and I still travel to Sydney to train under her. Watching you dance, one is always struck by your technique. Yet you say that you are mainly self-taught. How is this possible? A lot of people comment that I have the aesthetic of a Chennai dancer. I think because I loved the dance form, I spent hours watching it on my own, watching fingers, watching eyes, and training myself for a long time. I think it’s amazing what people can do for themselves when they love something.