Divya Ravi

Taatiche Abhang What never ceases to fascinate me about the Varkari tradition is that it endlessly keeps giving such poetic gems to work on - discovering, reading, understanding, assimilating and translating poetry to movement, will always be what excites me the most about my artistic trajectory. This was one such unique find - an abhanga by the doorframe - Muktabai’s poetic outpour where advises her older brother Dnaneshwara (who has shut himself indoors unwilling to engage with the world) to not be angry with those who don’t understand their spiritual quest, and to instead open the door - the literal doorframe at the helm of which they stand; and the metaphoric door of his eyes, mind, heart and consciousness! Huge props to these incredible musicians and friends @configurations_of_vks , @sivam_191004 , @tvsukanya and @janani_hamsini who were so in the zone with me that day - who could even tell that onstage @krishnaganasabha was the first time we all did this piece together 🤭 And ever grateful to Pradnya Agasthi tai for all her scholarly inputs. [abhang, Marathi poetry, Varkari tradition, women poets, Bharatanatyam, Indian classical dance]

I’ve waxed eloquent about my fascination with Jayadeva’s Radha in the Abhisarika Avastha - but here I go again, speaking about it in my programme notes! Not your usual Abhisarika going out in darkness / moonlight / in broad daylight in search of her love, but as a proclamatory warrior on the conquest of Love! chaNDi rasita rashanārava DiNDimam abhisara sarasam alajjam “Chandi, let go of your shyness and seek Him out. Move towards Him, accompanied by the rhythmic bells of your waist-strings that sound like kettle drums announcing the battle of love”. Grateful to @anupamakylash1 Maam for introducing me to this and many other hidden gems of verses in the Gita Govindam that has transformed my understanding of the text. “Preyasi” presented at @culturetrustuk Luton for Kadam Dance @duttasanjeevini ji and @pulseconnects Captured by @theobscurawizard #jayadeva #gitagovindam #orissa #ashtapadi #bharatanatyam #musicanddance #onstage #performerdiaries #abhinaya #bharatanatyamdancers #dancersoninstagram #indianartgallery #dancetalk

The Varkari tradition brought the idea of God outside the temples - to the streets, homes, and hearts of people. The ANHAD festival curated by @mirakaushik @watermansarts did the same - brought South Asian Arts to people who might otherwise never get to watch in the theatres. It only felt right to be presenting a Vaari with my resident musician @doctorsharansings enroute to the performance venue @bellsquareldn . Thank you @suhani8 for the affirmative push to make this happen. The Varkari tradition was ultimately about the ‘accessibility’ of “God” - what more can one ask for, when the entire audience claps along to the signature melody ‘Naache Panduranga’ ! For 30 minutes, Hounslow High Street became ‘Naamacha Bazaar’ - the market where people barter in names of Vitthala! Fortunate to be the tool that brought Vitthala to Hounslow! @manch_uk #anhad #bharatanatyam #bharatanatyamdancer #vitthala #varkari #varkarisampraday #indianclassicaldance #lifeofadancer #onthestreet #artonthestreet #outdoorarts #outdoorartsuk #artistsoninstagram #musicanddance #marathipoetry #abhang

@doctorsharansings has found the perfect way to dissipate my anger! Convincing me is really not that tough, clearly! Is it just me or does anyone else relate to husbands being wayyyy slower and less efficient at everything than their wives? And who the hell is LALANA ? Amidst rehearsals for Poems of Love. 31st May at Angan Studio Curated by @shyamdattanii and @krishalkaylash [telugu poetry, javali, Bharatanatyam, abhinaya, husband wife reels, husband wife banter, Carnatic music]

Exactly 4 months since this performance - My most favourite Kalyani varnam Sarasijakshudu that I learn from Mavin khoo anna during Covid, reiterated and presented at @krishnaganasabha in collaboration with these brilliant musicians. Vocals - @janani_hamsini Jathis and Nattuvangam - @configurations_of_vks Mridangam - @sivam_191004 Violin, Veena and flute - @tvsukanya 🤣 (seriously, you should have watched the performance to know what I’m talking about) The “mirror” Jathi masterpiece of @mavin_khoo Anna is something you’ve probably seen quite a bit of already on the gram, but here’s another take at it. This performance will go down as one of the most special - my first ticketed concert in a Chennai Sabha (gratitude to @saashwathiprabhu akka for the faith in my journey)…one that I saw through at an incredibly challenging phase personally, one that taught me that even if I felt alone in the deepest trenches of the ocean called emotions, I had my art and my love (aka @doctorsharansings ) as oars to take me through to the shores… definitely one of those evenings which reiterated what the cathartic power of art is, and how invaluable the experiences (the good and the bad) that shape us are in bringing authenticity to our art. [varnam, Kalyani, krishna gana sabha, Bharatanatyam, jathi, Nattuvangam, Indian classical music, Indian classical dance, margazhi, Chennai dance]

What an absolute joy it was to share a little about Therigatha over the last three days in KAVYARASA Chapter 1. Such enthusiastic artists willing to deep dive into something so unique and so rare with such curiosity and passion. So touched by the massively encouraging response to KAVYARASA and can’t wait to device and deliver the subsequent chapters. Will be announcing the next chapter (July 2026) soon. Stay tuned! [poetry community, Therigatha, Pali poetry, Bharatanatyam , Indian classical music, dancers on Instagram, poetry enthusiasts, learning module]

Happy Mother’s Day ✨ Motherhood has many melodies. Today, they all sing Radhe. Featuring music, dance and instrumental excerpts by @ramana_balachandhran , @ashwathnarayanan , @dancingdivyaravi , @sivasri.skanda and @rajheshvaidhya from Madhurageethams presented across the seasons of Spirit of Margazhi. #MothersDay #Radhe #SpiritOfMargazhi #CarnaticMusic (Carnatic music, Bharatanatyam, devotional music, Indian classical music, Indian classical dance, Madhurageetham, Radha Rani, bhakti, veena music, instrumental music, Rajhesh Vaidhya, Ramana Balachandran, Ashwath Narayanan, Divya Ravi, Sivasri Tejasvi Surya)

I began studying the #Therigatha, researching on its themes for my work Abandhana which previewed at @theplacelondon Resolution Festival, a leading contemporary dance festival. The more I immersed into the poetry of these #Buddhistnuns, the more I realised that they need to be shared in every context possible. Incorporating Amrapali‘s poignant poem on aging into the Margam format was one such attempt in bringing #Pali language poetry to the fore, though it is a premodern language not in vogue. In the few places that I have performed this piece (including this performance at @nmacc.india ), the unanimous viewpoint has been that language is not a barrier to connecting with such experiential poetry. I’ve put together a three day immersion into the Therigatha, as part of #Kavyarasa - my attempt to share my poetic learnings with the wider artistic circle, not limited to dancers alone. 7,8,9 May 4 pm BST / 8.30 pm IST Zoom Last few spots remaining, so do register soon (link in bio). For further details, contact @aparnabalajii . [poetry workshop, music and dance, dancer, Therigatha, Pali poetry]

Samyogā - Synthesising Synergy ✨ An intimate workshop exploring the harmony between dancer and musician-where musicality and movement begin to breathe as one. Led by Divya Ravi, in harmony with Dr Sharan Subramanian, this session offers a glimpse into their decade-long artistic partnership. Known for bringing rare poetry to life through the seamless interplay of music and dance, they share the foundations of their collaborative practice-from researching themes and selecting verses to shaping melody and movement. This lecture-demonstration reveals how their shared process evolves into bold, distinctive performance. 🗓 31st May | Hounslow, London 🕚 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM ⚠️ Limited spaces - filling quickly 🎟 Full Experience Pass available Book now - link in bio #BharatanatyamLondon #SouthAsianArtsUK #LondonDanceEvents #IndianClassicalDance #LiveArtLondon

Grace grows in the wildest corners🌸 . . In frame: @dancingdivyaravi . . #bougainvillea #portraitphotography #bangalore #bangaloreblooms #vaisakhvettungal . . [ bangalore, blooming, streets, portraits, dancers, portrait shoot, saree shoot, collaboration]

An evening where poetry, music and movement meet ✨ Poems of Love An intimate Bharatanatyam performance with live Carnatic music, where poetry comes alive through movement and melody. Featuring Divya Ravi, with live vocals by Dr Sharan Subramanian, this performance invites you into a deeply expressive journey through love - its nuances, tensions and quiet moments of beauty. 🗓 31st May | London 🕕 6:00 PM 🎟 Limited seats available Book now - link in bio #BharatanatyamLondon #SouthAsianArtsUK #LondonDanceEvents #IndianClassicalDance #LiveArtLondon

Excited to announcing the first chapter of the KAVYARASA Module, a deep dive into the Therigatha. Really hoped to share about this historically significant poetic work with as many people as possible, and after much thought, structured it in a way where there’s something for everyone, dancer or not! Day 1 - 7th May (a starting point for anybody who wants to learn more about the Therigatha - dancers, musicians, artists) Day 2 - 8th May (a deep dive into one poem in the Therigatha - a linguistic exploration of the content - experienced dancers/musicians/visual artists can take this back to work with it in their own styles and methods… intermediate / advanced students will use this as a foundation for the final day of learning) Day 3 - 9th May (a choreographic exploration of the above poem for dancers) You can attend Day 1 or Day 1+2 or all three days. Something in it for everyone. Limited spots as it’s on zoom. Registration link in bio. Photos by @vaisakh_vettungal Posters by @aparnabalajii who you can contact for any questions about the workshop. #therigatha #poetry #workshop #learning #artistsoninstagram [pali poetry, Pali language, Indian classical music, Bharatanatyam, Kathak, odissi, Indian art, Therigatha, Buddhist poetry]