Uploaded February 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Aijia Mayrock’s Dear me, presented with artistic reinterpretation using Bharatanatyam vocabulary. This Indian classical dance piece is a recital of the spoken word poetry by bestselling author and poet, Aijia Mayrock. It depicts the internal struggle for unattainable perfection that is widespread today among young and old alike. It tells the tale of the individual’s ego and the alter ego, both searching for support but neither ready to tolerate the individual, the person who exists in a state of perpetual inadequacy. The resolution of this dissonance arises with the realization that the ‘self’ has always been ‘enough’ and does not need to change. Dancers Anika Nayak and Shreya Shankar perform to communicate the essence of the poem’s message – that it is important to respect and love oneself without judgement.
The dance starts with the ego trying to rise up but being brutally pushed down by the alter ego. Each attempt to reach out is met with rejection and criticism. The piece reaches a frenzy when the ego is sculpted both literally and figuratively by the alter until finally the realization of adequacy breaks through.
The dancers can be reached at
Shreya Shankar
instagram.com/shreyashankar604
Anika Nayak
instagram.com/mrga.trshna
To learn classical music with a popular twist, sign up at indianraga.com/ragalabs
To feature in an IndianRaga production, apply to be an IndianRaga Fellow at indianraga.com/fellowship
IndianRaga brings together the best musicians and dancers across 60 international cities to collaborate on high quality music videos viewed by millions of people globally. The genres we work with are rooted in Indian classical performing arts and include Carnatic music (South Indian classical music), Hindustani music (North Indian classical music), semi-classical music, contemporary and fusion music, Indian classical dances including Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Mohiniattam, Kathak, and also ballet, tap, contemporary dance. Our productions also include a wide range of instruments including mridangam, tabla, sitar, violin, flute/bansuri, veena, ghatam, and new-age categories like music arrangement and production with EDM, Trap, Pop amongst others. Our most popular innovations include classical cover songs, a cappella, mashups and remixes of the latest viral pop hits in both western and Indian music. Anyone can apply to join our collaborations, and you can visit indianraga.com for more details and application process.
Aijia Mayrock’s Dear me, presented with artistic reinterpretation using Bharatanatyam vocabulary. This Indian classical dance piece is a recital of the spoken word poetry by bestselling author and poet, Aijia Mayrock. It depicts the internal struggle for unattainable perfection that is widespread today among young and old alike. It tells the tale of the individual’s ego and the alter ego, both searching for support but neither ready to tolerate the individual, the person who exists in a state of perpetual inadequacy. The resolution of this dissonance arises with the realization that the ‘self’ has always been ‘enough’ and does not need to change. Dancers Anika Nayak and Shreya Shankar perform to communicate the essence of the poem’s message – that it is important to respect and love oneself without judgement.
The dance starts with the ego trying to rise up but being brutally pushed down by the alter ego. Each attempt to reach out is met with rejection and criticism. The piece reaches a frenzy when the ego is sculpted both literally and figuratively by the alter until finally the realization of adequacy breaks through.
The dancers can be reached at
Shreya Shankar
instagram.com/shreyashankar604
Anika Nayak
instagram.com/mrga.trshna
To learn classical music with a popular twist, sign up at indianraga.com/ragalabs
To feature in an IndianRaga production, apply to be an IndianRaga Fellow at indianraga.com/fellowship
IndianRaga brings together the best musicians and dancers across 60 international cities to collaborate on high quality music videos viewed by millions of people globally. The genres we work with are rooted in Indian classical performing arts and include Carnatic music (South Indian classical music), Hindustani music (North Indian classical music), semi-classical music, contemporary and fusion music, Indian classical dances including Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Mohiniattam, Kathak, and also ballet, tap, contemporary dance. Our productions also include a wide range of instruments including mridangam, tabla, sitar, violin, flute/bansuri, veena, ghatam, and new-age categories like music arrangement and production with EDM, Trap, Pop amongst others. Our most popular innovations include classical cover songs, a cappella, mashups and remixes of the latest viral pop hits in both western and Indian music. Anyone can apply to join our collaborations, and you can visit indianraga.com for more details and application process.
