My third novel
My third novel, tentatively entitled To Dance Again, is tentatively scheduled for Spring 2013
release.
I'm enjoying the process of writing it and working with Nancy Paulsen (my editor) and Rob
Weisbach (my agent).
Shoba, a young Indian girl, seems well on her way to becoming one of the best Bharatanatyam
dancers of her time when a tragic accident leaves her crippled forever. Forced to make do with
a simple artificial leg, (because her family cannot afford a state-of-the-art prosthetic) Shoba
meets two very different men as she struggles to recover from the tragedy. Both men - one a
young Indian dancer; the other an American doctor - support her desire to dance again. But
Shoba soon learns that to achieve her seemingly impossible dream, she must rely on herself
alone and reach deep within to re-discover the spiritual aspect of Bharatanatyam.
Based on a true story, this is a novel about loss, recovery, and the power of dance; but most of
all, it is a testament to the courage and resilience of the human spirit.
The novel is inspired by the true lives of a few Bharatanatyam dancers; first and foremost,
Shoba Sharma, by whose courage and love of the art I was inspired at an early age.
Several other dancers whose performances I've watched have certainly had an impact on my
understanding of this ancient art form: the artists who performed such wonderful
dance-dramas at Kalakshetra when I was growing up; Smt. Rukmani Devi; Shri. V. P.
Dhananjayan; Smt. Kamala Lakshman. I was impressed by the dedication of disabled
dancers such as Smt. Sudha Chandran, Shri. Nityananda and Ms. Neroor. However, Shoba's
character, though it owes much to all these dancers, is her own and is events in the novel are
fictional.
The novel also owes much to my veena teacher, Smt. Savitri Rajan, and my yoga guru, Shri.
Krishnamacharya, both of whom I had the blessing and privilege to learn from as a child.
I'm still conducting some research for the novel and grateful to some wonderful doctors,
biomedical engineers and physiotherapists for answering my questions - most of all, Dr.
Sandeep Murali and Dr. Venkatesh Balasubramaniam
release.
I'm enjoying the process of writing it and working with Nancy Paulsen (my editor) and Rob
Weisbach (my agent).
Shoba, a young Indian girl, seems well on her way to becoming one of the best Bharatanatyam
dancers of her time when a tragic accident leaves her crippled forever. Forced to make do with
a simple artificial leg, (because her family cannot afford a state-of-the-art prosthetic) Shoba
meets two very different men as she struggles to recover from the tragedy. Both men - one a
young Indian dancer; the other an American doctor - support her desire to dance again. But
Shoba soon learns that to achieve her seemingly impossible dream, she must rely on herself
alone and reach deep within to re-discover the spiritual aspect of Bharatanatyam.
Based on a true story, this is a novel about loss, recovery, and the power of dance; but most of
all, it is a testament to the courage and resilience of the human spirit.
The novel is inspired by the true lives of a few Bharatanatyam dancers; first and foremost,
Shoba Sharma, by whose courage and love of the art I was inspired at an early age.
Several other dancers whose performances I've watched have certainly had an impact on my
understanding of this ancient art form: the artists who performed such wonderful
dance-dramas at Kalakshetra when I was growing up; Smt. Rukmani Devi; Shri. V. P.
Dhananjayan; Smt. Kamala Lakshman. I was impressed by the dedication of disabled
dancers such as Smt. Sudha Chandran, Shri. Nityananda and Ms. Neroor. However, Shoba's
character, though it owes much to all these dancers, is her own and is events in the novel are
fictional.
The novel also owes much to my veena teacher, Smt. Savitri Rajan, and my yoga guru, Shri.
Krishnamacharya, both of whom I had the blessing and privilege to learn from as a child.
I'm still conducting some research for the novel and grateful to some wonderful doctors,
biomedical engineers and physiotherapists for answering my questions - most of all, Dr.
Sandeep Murali and Dr. Venkatesh Balasubramaniam
To Dance Again
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