Rasika Kumar has been dancing since the age of four under the tutelage of her mother, Mythili, the founder and artistic director of San Jose Bharatanatyam company Abhinaya Dance Company. Rather than retell traditional Indian myths, in Courage, July 12-13 at CounterPULSE, Kumar creates a solo from the time-honored dance of the temple dancer that expresses narratives of valor in the present day: the single person rising up in the face of tragedy, the resilience of a community forced to rebuild after natural disaster, and the possibility of a woman's act of defiance to effect political change. Accompanied by singer Sindhu Natarajan, Kumar presents an evening-length work that respects her heritage as it addresses contemporary affairs on a global scale.
