Today we’d like to introduce you to Aler Krishnan.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born and raised in the southern Indian city of Madras/ Chennai, renowned for its classical music and dance. Thanks to my family, I had early exposure to a classical form of Indian dance called Bharatanatyam, whose origin dates back to 200 BCE. This form integrated various elements of yoga, melody, rhythm, and expressions to create a rich treat for the audience’s senses while also contributing to the happiness and well-being of the dancers. I owe it to my dance teachers, Gurus Indra Rajan and Pandanallur Srinivasan, for being sticklers to perfection and for setting the bar very high. Growing up in India, you did not have the option of ignoring your academic education, so I had to learn to juggle demanding school and college work with dance practice and performance, which required excellent time management. I had to pursue both my academic and dance education with equal importance. I remember during my 12th board exams, the results of which would set my career direction, I had to perform in an outstation event and went to the exam hall straight from the train station.
I went on to obtain 2 Master’s degrees in Math and an MBA, and a career in the technology industry. Dance has always stayed with me alongside – It has become part of my identity, and I am also fortunate to have a very supportive spouse and children. Several people ask me how I manage both careers, and my answer to them is that they complement each other. Even today after a long day at work, I relax by thinking about new ideas for dance choreographies. It rejuvenates my mind and gives me fresh perspectives to address the problems at work. I run a dance school, Abinaya Arts Academy, where I train the next generation of dancers. My dance studio is my zen place, and I also enthusiastically learn every day from my students – who are so full of ideas and perspectives. I am very fortunate and blessed to continue my training in dance with world-renowned dance exponents Bragha Bessell, Priyadarsini Govind, and A. Lakshman. They offer valuable inputs to my students and me to hone our skills in this beautiful dance form. In addition to performing, teaching, and choreographing, I’m also formally trained in wielding cymbals for dance performances. I am a board member of the local non-profit arts organization, Indian Fine Arts Academy of San Diego, and I provide artistic guidance for dance programs hosted by the academy.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It is always a challenge to juggle personal and professional lives – and adding an artistic passion to the mix makes it doubly complex. There are only so many hours in a day. Cloning is still not fully safe 😀 Time management is crucial. Also, when I moved to the USA back in the 90s, staying connected with my teachers in India was a real challenge. I was all of a sudden in a new environment that was not as conducive as I was used to back in India. Performance opportunities for Indian classical dancers was a rarity. This is when I started my dance school, Abinaya Arts Academy, mainly as an outlet for my artistic pursuits, and little did I realize what a real blessing it would eventually become.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My strengths are in tightly weaving a story in my classical and contemporary choreographies. In my day job, I’m a product manager and a business innovator at an international tech company. Just like how in my business world, I design a product keeping in mind the customer needs, I keep the pulse of the audience in mind when I choreograph compositions. Also, my training in math helps me to visualize movements in symmetrical geometric patterns, and I constantly remind my students to understand the coordinates of the plane they are dancing in to make them more aware of their bodies in space.
I also immensely enjoy doing creative and collaborative work with other dance schools and genres. Some of my critically acclaimed solo and group productions include Shakthi, Navarasa, Gokula Bala Gopala, Om NamaShivaya, Jaya Jaya Devi, Tyagaraja, Bhasmasur, Ahimsa, Azaadi, and several others. My students and I regularly participate in local community events and are regular performers in the popular annual Music and Dance festival conducted by the Indian Fine Arts Academy of San Diego.
What matters most to you? Why?
What matters the most to me is the impact I’m able to have on my students – the ability to inspire them in the arts. In this art form, you learn under your Guru lifelong and you develop a special bonding; dance class becomes your second home. Every time when my students give their solo debut performance after several years of rigorous training under me, my heart swells with pride. It is so fulfilling that cannot be expressed in mere words; it gives me the reassurance that art is in safe hands. The impact and legacy one leaves is very important to me.
Contact Info:
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/abinayaarts
Image Credits
Prasad Photography
Sundar Sundar Karthikeyan | (619) 888-8421
