Shyamla Eswaran: Using South Asian dance forms to tackle racism and bias
Dance, Shyamla Eswaran, figured out early in life, had both healing and teaching properties. With her brown skin, black hair and mixed South Asian heritage – her father is from Chennai, South India and mother from Fiji – Shyamla was an anomaly in her predominately white Australian neighbourhood and classrooms. This difference manifested in racism; Shyamla was often punched, pushed and called cockroach by her classmates. It made the Sydney resident feel belittled. Dance changed all that, giving her a space to feel safe, secure and valuable. Soon Shyamla found herself exploring both western and South Asian dance forms, using them to communicate her experience with racism, dispelling ignorance surrounding South Asian cultures and propagating Human Rights.
Today, Shyamla is a much-loved and renowned dancer in Australia and the founder of BINDI BOSSES, a performing arts company that strives to liberate South Asian dance forms from tokenism through storytelling while educating the audiences about the vast cultural diversity of South Asia. Their bespoke costumes – silver sequined jackets, dhoti sarees – and white henna painted faces pay tribute to the myriad dance forms that make up the South Asian culture.
In conversation with TAL, the 37-year-old talks about how her parents met, the impact her mixed heritage had on her dance, overcoming bullying, navigating COVID 19 protocols as an artiste, and starting BINDI BOSSES.
‘LAASYA’ Concept shoot: Styling by Poornima Sharma, MUA Beauty by Samreen, and photography by Balz iclick
Before we begin, please tell us something about yourself.
I was born in Sydney and grew up on Dharawal Country aka the Sutherland Shire, NSW. I have been performing for over 30 years and have made most of my income from working as a Performance Artist and Educator for the last eight years. Before this - after completing a Masters in International Human Rights Law and Policy from the University of New South Wales - I worked in Communications and Media roles for Social Justice and Human Rights-based organisations such as The Australian Human Rights Commission, NSW Aboriginal Land Council and Barnardos Australia. My hobbies include seeing and listening to live music and spending time in nature, especially the bush and natural bodies of water.
You have such an interesting lineage (mother from Fiji, father from Chennai), and you were born in Australia, far away from these two cultures. How did your parents meet? And, how did these three different places influence you both as a person and as a performer?
My father arrived in Australia from Chennai (then Madras) in 1969 during The White Australia Policy. He was just 14 at the time and was only allowed to enter Australia because of the Official Passport his father carried that was issued to Diplomatic Personnel. He said his family was one of just five Indian families living in Sydney at the time. He met my mother while working as an accountant in Fiji in 1980, they married in February 1982 and settled in Australia later that year. My father spoke Tamil, while my mother Hindi, so they decided only to speak English at home, believing it would also help my brother and me assimilate better. So, while we grew up frequenting temples and functions conducted by the Indian community where my father would sing Carnatic music, we didn’t speak an Indian language. We felt stuck between worlds - too dark for our white peers and too white for our Indian ones. I am a mix of all these cultures and dance offers a meeting place to express this; my ancient South Indian ancestry, my unique Fiji-Indian culture and the influences I have been exposed to growing up in a western, colonised country like Australia.
‘BINDI BOSSES’ debut shoot: Styling and photography by Poornima Sharma, white henna by Mongkee Artistry.
What attracted you to the world of dance? You are trained in Contemporary, Jazz, and Tap, among others, so how did the transition to South Asian dance forms occur?
My mother put me into dance classes when I was four to increase my physical coordination; my parents thought I was a clumsy child since I often came home with bruises and scratches on my knees from “falling over” at school. While I am a bit of a clutz, I was actually getting pushed over, regularly punched and bullied by other kids for being a “cockroach” because of my darker skin. Dance class was the one place I felt appreciated and valued for my skills and talent instead of my skin colour. Dance was my safe space. I became obsessed with it and spent many years competing in Eisteddfods and performing in dance concerts. The older I got, the more interested I became in cultural dance styles used to bring people together to share/express culture. My childhood experience with racism piqued my interest in Human Rights, and I pursued a career in that field working in communications. By my late 20s, I realised I could share my story and positively impact Australia’s next generation by merging my passion for dance and Human Rights. I initiated numerous multicultural dance workshops and shows, taking them to preschools and schools all over Australia, teaching them the importance of an equitable society. Thanks to my (former) agent, Young Australia Workshop, I was able to spread this message around the country for the last seven years. With every step, through dance, I grow prouder of my cultural heritage and am motivated by the desire to help others feel the same.
Dance is also my way to express my love for music, sparked by my father, a Carnatic singer (classical South Indian art form). He would regularly perform at community events and Hindu gatherings, and I would sometimes accompany him. I have an early memory of travelling to Canberra to see a family friend perform her Arangetram (initiation into the world of classical dance) in (what I thought was) Bharatanatyam and was utterly mesmerised by her expressions, stamina and rhythmic footwork. My brother and I would sit with my father to learn ragas, so Carnatic music was imprinted on my mind and soul from a very early age. He also introduced us to Led Zeppelin, Carol King, James Taylor, and Beethoven! Artists who have deeply influenced me also include, Janet Jackson, Prince, and Backstreet Boys. My exposure to dance was just as varied as my musical influences, and I went on to learn and perform many genres from Tap, Ballet and Jazz to Clog, Hip Hop, Dancehall, Burlesque and Brazilian Samba.
‘LAASYA’ concept shoot: Styling by Poornima Sharma, MUA Beauty by Samreen, and photography by Balz iclick.
From 2005 onwards, I performed Bollywood songs with various Sydney-based groups and taught fusion choreographies to dance students. However, when I became a full-time solo performing artist in 2017, I began fusing the other styles I’d trained in (Hip Hop, Brazilian Samba, etc) into my own performances. I wanted to create productions that, while bringing Indian dance to life in a unique yet meaningful, stayed true to its cultural root. To achieve this goal, I actively sought the guidance of a guru to practice traditional classical Indian dance. I was introduced to my dear Guru Shri Ragahavan Nair Ji by his daughter and started practising Kuchipudi, a classical dance. The form linked back to my mother’s ancestral home of Andhra Pradesh, South India and was also the dance that grabbed my attention all those years ago at the Arangetram in Canberra.
Starting classical dance journey in my 30s has been challenging, but I’m determined to understand and experience the dance form as close to its original essence as possible with a teacher who is also willing to experiment with fusion. It was the best decision I have ever made on all levels - artistic, spiritual, personal and cultural. Through dance, I heal and remember who I am, connecting with my culture in a visceral and experiential rather than intellectual way.
‘LAASYA’ concept shoot: Styling by Poornima Sharma, MUA Beauty by Samreen, and photography by Balz iclick.
Before we go any further, may I ask, how have you been? How has the pandemic affected you as an artiste?
The pandemic hit many other artists and me especially hard; many of us are self-employed and reliant on work that requires in-person contact or having an audience present. I was on tour delivering a week-long Artist In Residency in Yarrawonga, Victoria, Australia but had to cut my trip short and come home when my final booking cancelled the day before I was meant to arrive. COVID-19 has resulted in many cancellations, forcing me to restructure my income sources from teaching and performing to other skillsets such as hosting and writing. I struggled with my mental health and sense of worth quite a bit in the first two months. I found it hard to adjust to being still and not having anywhere to go since I am usually quite busy and regularly do solo touring around Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland.
For too long, I discovered that I had been attaching my sense of self-worth to my ability to earn money as an artist regularly. The pandemic forced me to reevaluate these thoughts, making me realise how unhealthy they are. Slowing down also helped me realise how unsustainably I had been living and working without giving my body proper time to rest, recover and recharge. While it has been and continues to be a financially challenging time, I have tried to take advantage of the opportunity to turn inwards, slow down, heal my body and set better habits. That being said, my income in the initial few months of the pandemic was 55% less than what it was for the same period the previous year so the financial stress hit home.
I am trying not to let the circumstances get the better of me. I stay healthy and mentally calm by practising Yoga with my teacher in Kerala via Zoom three times a week and training Kuchipudi with my Guru once a week.
How have you managed to keep your art alive through these terrible times?
I have kept my art alive by exploring other artistic expressions outside of dance and movement such as songwriting and playing music (singing, piano and guitar). I have also been immersing myself in new music by researching the latest works by my favourite artists and associated acts and listening to albums in their entirety. I am lucky to live on Dharawal country surrounded by bush, water and plenty of birdlife and am increasingly appreciating the wonders, beauty and cycles of nature. I’ve found myself using social media less and focusing more on my inner world – a process that has led to a deeper appreciation of the natural world, so I’ve been drawn to nature documentaries. I also love watching comedies and fantasies, particularly anime.
When isolation hit last March, I created an online version of my Indian Jungle Dance Safari by recording and editing together instructional animal videos in my backyard. I have delivered at least 10 of these sessions to vacation care centres, libraries and art centres and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. I must admit I don’t entirely enjoy the disconnection of running the experience online. But, I know I must adapt, adjust and accept that there is no certainty around when I will perform and deliver my workshops in person.
‘MISHRAN’ concept shoot: Styling by Shyamla, MUA Khushbu Soni and Ambika Upadhyay, and photography by Ishan Singh, location: Udaipur, India.
Performing Arts has been one of the hardest-hit sectors during this pandemic. How do you think the sector can safeguard itself better against similar disasters in the future?
The pandemic has taught me an important lesson: maintaining and developing a diverse skillset and multiple streams of income that don’t rely on in-person experiences such as teaching or performing. Being able to adapt my artistry to an online format means I can reach more people worldwide, which is exciting. But, I also want to ensure the impact of the experience doesn’t get entirely lost in the process of adapting it to an online, contactless environment. We are being forced to adapt as an industry, but nothing will ever replace the impact of a live experience. I want to find new and unique ways to facilitate and foster genuine connection and exchanges online through these strange and uncertain times.
When did you start BINDI BOSSES, and what is the story behind its unique moniker?
BINDI BOSSES has been quite a few years in the making as a concept in my mind, but our first official performance was as a duet with Ragavi Ragavan at an event called “Dancey Dance Time” hosted by Kween G (Kibone) at The Red Rattler Theatre, Marrickville on April 6, 2019, an event that brings bilingual music, art and dance to Sydney nightlife. When I started performing solo in 2017 I began fusing the other styles I’d trained into my own performances. Therefore, those I involved needed to have a strong base in Indian dance and a high skill level and swag in other cultural styles. I came across Ragavi on Instagram and reached out to discover she’s Sri Lankan Tamil, trained in Bharatanatyam as a child, grew up watching Kollywood movies, trained in Salsa, Afro, Hip Hop, Popping and Dancehall. I’d performed Bollywood with Jes before and knew she grew up in Sri Lanka with mixed Nepalese/Punjabi heritage and trained in a range of styles including Ori Tahiti, Body Percussion and Dancehall. In 2018 I was commissioned to choreograph an Indian show for SSI New Beginnings Festival; an Indian Fusion performance entitled “Dance Through India” that interwove Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh), Bollywood (Mumbai), Bhangra (Punjab) and Ghoomar (Rajasthan). I invited Ragavi and Jes to perform with me, a Bharatanatyam dancer named Pinaki Thakur, and renowned Indian percussionist Maharshi Raval. The performance was well-received, but I couldn’t help feel we’d sidelined our unique edge as dancers, who were also very proficient in non-Indian styles, for the sake of appearing “authentic”.
BINDI BOSSES is driven by the desire to express ourselves authentically outside of what people expected to see - beyond tokenism and stereotypes - and to redefine South Asian dance on our own terms in a way that encapsulates our multifaceted cultural and artistic identities. We use dance as a tool to challenge traditional norms and perceptions rather than just as entertainment and provide paid opportunities for South Asian dancers. It provides a safe space to connect, share and experiment artistically, exploring where our cultural boundaries lie and why. It is also a platform to empower and connect South Asian artists from all artistic backgrounds, not just dance, and generate paid work opportunities in other creative fields - i.e. Photography, Videography, Graphic Design, Fashion Design, MUA, Singers, Dhol Players, Musicians, etc.
I initially called us Bindi Babes but didn’t like the superficial and potentially sexualised female connotations of the word “BABE” and soon decided the word BOSSES was more fitting, empowering, non-binary, inclusive and inspiring. It broke free of expectations and stereotypes and set the agenda rather than falling in with it.
‘BINDI BOSSES’ debut shoot: Styling by Poornima Sharma, photography by Andres Marin, white henna by Mongkee Artistry. Pictured: Ragavi Ragavan, Shyamla Eswaran, and Jes Subba
Cultural sensitivity, identity and inclusion of South Asians (and other non-white cultures) seem to be the foundation on which BINDI BOSSES is built. What factors motivated you to make these three elements your dance organisation’s driving principles? Did you feel there was much cultural ignorance that needed to be addressed?
After 30 years of pandering to western notions of Indianness and producing dance mainly for entertainment’s sake, I wanted to create a South Indian Fusion dance company and cultural movement inspired by our South Asian roots to tell stories of mixed cultural upbringing and heritage. I wanted to create a decolonised South Asian dance group - one whose art is a true representation of the fusion of cultures that come with being a South Asian in Australia.
BINDI BOSSES practices cross-cultural exchange both internally within the company and externally with partners. There is a sense of inclusivity and a feeling of being accepted for who you are, whatever that unique mix may be. Expressing diverse cultures and experiences through co-created performances is a way to share and pass on our heritage and stories through dance. On the one hand, BINDI BOSSES creates a platform to connect, create and perform with other South Asian artists from diverse cultural and artistic backgrounds*. On the other, we engage in cross-cultural exchange directly with people whose cultural dances we fuse to learn from them, deepen our understanding and further develop our skills and knowledge. We have learned Bhangra from “Down To Bhangra”, been introduced to Pantsula by Thuba (South Africa) and trained Hip Hop Foundations with renowned Hip Hop Dancer Praizy.
Photo by Danish Ravi. Pictured: Ragavi Ragavan, Sakshi Brahmbhatt, Shankari Jeyaseelan, and Smrithi Karmakonda, Event: SSI New Beginnings Festival 2019.
Beyond mere representation, South Asian inclusion in the arts is essential for so many reasons: we come from cultures that see the arts as a hobby and not a viable profession. This has to change. It has taken me many years to convince my friends and family that I should and can make a living as an artist. I would love to see more brown people supported to make that choice. Through the arts, we can change hearts and help future generations of South Asian people expand their horizon of possibilities. Most importantly, it is a way for us to tell our own stories, share our experiences and insert them into the narrative of what it means to grow up and live in Australia as a South Asian person. Our parents came to Australia to give us opportunities they didn’t have themselves - we need to remind our parents of this when we choose to follow a career based on our passions.
Having lived in both London and Los Angeles, I’ve found Australia to be far less progressive, quite ignorant and often dismissive when it comes to non-European cultures. I believe this stems from our unwillingness as a nation to acknowledge our colonial past and the trauma it continues to inflict on First Nations peoples. As graduates, homeowners, business owners, and recipients of universal health care, all of our privilege in Australia has been gained at First Nations peoples’ expense. To heal and move forward, we need to listen to First Nations voices, seek out information without unnecessarily burdening them and develop genuine and direct relationships with them. We must ensure the voices and unique perspectives of First Nations and People of Colour are included, elevated and given priority, especially in a country where we didn’t grow up seeing ourselves accurately represented on TV or in the media.
When people from the western world think of South Asian dance forms, they automatically think Bollywood. As a performer, have you found it hard to break this perception?
As a performer, getting a message across is always a challenge, especially when it involves breaking or challenging a preconceived notion within a minimal timeframe. Beyond mere entertainment, BINDI BOSSES uses dance as a storytelling medium to educate and raise awareness about the vast cultural diversity across South Asia. Our performances are packed with layers of meaning and are known for their ability to immerse, uplift and educate our audiences, helping them to identify South Asian cultural dances beyond Bollywood - i.e. Kollywood (Tamil Nadu), Garba (Gujarat), Bhangra (Punjab), Ghoomar (Rajasthan).
Audience participation has become the most important and impactful part of BINDI BOSSES’ performances since we can connect and interact with our audiences directly to help them understand and get a sense of the rich and varied cultural diversity across South Asia. I wouldn’t say that I’ve found it hard to break this perception, but to develop the messaging of what to say on the microphone and how to translate and explain the differences in terms of movement has taken many years..
Photo by Stuart Bucknell. Pictured: Shyamla Eswaran, Sakshi Brahmbhatt, and Ragavi Ragavan. Event: City Loves Country at Enmore Theatre 2020.
We are proud to draw on our traditions and further challenge our audiences by fusing the unique influences that have shaped us as individuals and artists, such as classical Indian dance (Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathak), Folk dance (Bhangra, Ghoomar, Garba, Dandiya Raas), dance styles from Indian Cinema (Bollywood, Kollywood) as well as other cultural dance styles including Hip Hop, Afro, Brazilian Samba and Dancehall.
How easy has it been to create an audience for South Asian inspired dances in Australia? Was it challenging to get people excited about your endeavour?
The point of BINDI BOSSES dance fusion has not been to attract an audience but rather to express ourselves and our multifaceted identities by blending traditional Indian dance with influences from South Asian cinema, Folk dance, and street dances from around the world. When artists are honest and brave in their self-expression, unique energy is created that pulls like-minded people together and holds their interest. Our aim is not to entertain but to express, share and educate in fun and creative ways. We are redefining what Indian dance looks like beyond stereotypical Bollywood, and so far the response has been pure excitement, enthusiasm and encouragement to keep building on what we’re doing..
Pictured: Shyamla Eswaran, Ragavi Ragavan, and Jes Subba. Kalamkari blouses by Meera by Poornima Sharma, white henna by Mongkee Artistry. Event: Events Uncovered for Musicland.
What are your plans for the future?
In terms of BINDI BOSSES, I would like to resume our workshops that offer safe, inclusive, judgement-free spaces to connect with people from diverse backgrounds while exploring movement. We believe in self-empowerment, equal rights, body positivity, diverse cultural representation, inclusivity, cross-cultural exchange, and use dance to challenge traditional norms and spark discussion on issues that affect people within our communities, especially women. In short, as Lilly Singh says, “Hustle hard, fight back, reject any labels.” I would like to see us continue to find new and unique ways to touch, move, inspire and collaborate with other people, both within and outside of our culture. The best way to get involved is to come to a workshop, share space with us, dance with us and feel what we are all about. The plan is to keep experimenting, creating and pushing boundaries. We want to dig deeper and grow stronger as a group both conceptually and physically through training and education and learn more about the cultural dances we fuse directly from those people.
Photo by Danish Ravi. Pictured: Smrithi Karmakonda, Ragavi Ragavan, and Shankari Jeyaseelan. White henna by Mongkee Artistry. Event: SSI New Beginnings Festival 2019.
I am also keen to continue supporting and providing opportunities for the BINDI BOSSES team which has grown from two to eight members in the last year.
I also look forward to finding meaningful ways to collaborate with and elevate First Nations artists’ voices and acknowledge that we live, work, and create on land where First Nations sovereignty was never ceded.
Cover and profile pic credit: ‘LAASYA’ concept shoot, styling by Poornima Sharma, MUA Beauty by Samreen, and photography by Balz iclick.
Follow Shyamla and BINDI BOSSES on Instagram.
BINDI BOSSES is holding a fundraiser, Dance for India, to raise funds for COVID-19 relief in India. For more information about the event and to donate, click here.
