Dance

taught me so much about my roots and my culture, from the way we dress, the Gods we pray to, and even the food we eat.”

She still trains with her guru, and in her spare time she teaches dance at the Sai Temple in Rochester Hills. “It’s really nice to take what I’ve learned and then share that with the kids and watch them go through the same process I did.”

Sharanya also uses dance as a way to express her thoughts on social issues that matter to her.

“Personally, I think that a lot of dance is about interpretation and I think using abstract movements to portray a message is really important,” she says. Sharanya believes it can inspire and help people from all walks of life.

“I’ve been able to grow as a dancer and try to make my work more meaningful by reaching out to audiences of all kinds. I’ve performed pieces about a lovelorn maiden longing for the Lord, or a troubled friend who is unable to speak up.”

Since the coronavirus pandemic began, she has choreographed multiple dance pieces at home, which have been published by the Indian Raga on its social media channels.

“I have a lot of fun when I’m just choreographing or looking at old pieces and trying to work on them again,” says Sharanya, who is also a captain on her school’s competitive dance team. “So it’s more like dance, for me especially, it’s just a way to be imaginative and honestly de-stress myself, and keep up with my endurance.”

Although Sharanya’s career passions are human rights, equality for all, and aid for the underprivileged, she plans to continue dancing, sharing and learning the art of Bharatanatyam for a very long time.

“I always find it fun for me to be either spreading the roots of our culture or sharing stories of our faith through the music,” Sharanya says. “Honestly, one thing with dance that’s really special to me is that every time I go for a performance I feel like I’m sharing my energy with the people in the room, and that uplifts them.”