7. Bridges - Essay - Class 11 - Woven Words

BhashaLab
Jul 3
5 min read

Author: Kumudini Lakhia

Textbook: Woven Words

Genre: Essay / Autobiography

Summary

In Bridges, renowned Kathak dancer Kumudini Lakhia shares the key experiences that shaped her life and dance career. Contrary to popular belief, she was not "born to dance" and initially had no interest in it. Her mother, however, strongly believed in her potential and enrolled her in Kathak lessons at a young age. Throughout the essay, Lakhia draws connections between her life experiences and the themes in her choreography. She recounts childhood struggles with discipline, early exposure to independence, and the emotional impact of her mother’s sudden death at age 14. These emotions later manifested in her works like Duvidha, Atah Kim, and Panch Paras. She discusses her academic years, interactions with social norms, gender expectations, and the discovery of her own voice. Her experience touring with Ram Gopal’s dance company offered exposure to classical and folk dance forms, and taught her how context changes perception. Through personal anecdotes, she reflects on the bridges between family, art, identity, and cultural evolution. The essay is a deeply reflective journey that illustrates how personal history and creativity are intricately woven together.

Character Sketch

Kumudini Lakhia

Kumudini Lakhia emerges as a sensitive, disciplined, and intellectually curious artist. Initially reluctant to dance, she eventually embraced it as a way to express inner confusion, hunger, and identity. Her early life was filled with emotional and physical challenges, but she faced them with strength and grace. She questioned societal norms and used her choreography to explore deeper issues such as gender roles and personal loss. Her reflections reveal her as a thinker, reformer, and empathetic observer of life. Lakhia’s ability to connect personal experiences with artistic expression defines her lasting contribution to Indian classical dance.

Themes

Theme	Description
Self-discovery and Identity	Kumudini’s journey of finding herself through challenges and choices.
Art as Expression of Life	Her choreography reflects her personal emotions and experiences.
Struggles of Womanhood	She highlights societal expectations, gender norms, and how women navigate both.
Discipline vs. Creativity	Balancing strict training with the freedom of artistic expression.
Cultural and Emotional Bridges	She draws connections between different life phases, cultures, and emotions.

✨ Literary Devices

Device	Example / Explanation
Metaphor	“Patchwork of my life” and “mist of protection” represent life’s complexity and emotional cushioning.
Imagery	Vivid sensory descriptions of temples, fields, and performances enhance emotional depth.
Irony	Despite claiming she wasn’t born to dance, she became a celebrated dancer.
Symbolism	Her choreography symbolizes internal conflicts, gender roles, and personal evolution.
Allusion	Mentions of historical figures and dances anchor the story in a broader cultural context.

Title Justification

The title Bridges perfectly symbolizes the connections Kumudini Lakhia draws between various stages of her life and her work as a dancer. Each phase—childhood, boarding school, loss, education, marriage, and motherhood—forms a bridge to her understanding of art and identity. Her choreography becomes a bridge between personal pain and public performance, tradition and experimentation, the past and the present. The metaphor of bridges thus captures both literal and symbolic transitions in her life.

One-Mark Questions

What made Kumudini’s mother believe she was born to dance?
After watching Kumudini imitate a film dancer at age seven, her mother saw potential in her and decided to enroll her in dance classes. Her belief was so strong that she endured hardships to make it happen.
Why was Kumudini called to the principal’s office before her matric exams?
She was called to inform her that her mother was seriously ill. Unfortunately, by the time she reached home, her mother had already passed away.
What lesson did Ram Gopal teach Kumudini about perfection?
Ram Gopal told her to perfect technique first and then throw it away to dance freely. This message became central to her own teaching philosophy.
What was the theme of her dance piece Duvidha?
Duvidha portrayed the conflict of a middle-class Indian woman torn between tradition and the desire for freedom. It reflected the emptiness and confusion women often face.
Why did Kumudini feel her hunger was misunderstood even by herself?
After her mother’s death, she mistook emotional emptiness for physical hunger. This confusion reappeared in her artistic expressions.

Three-Mark Questions

How did Kumudini’s early life influence her later choreography?
Kumudini’s childhood was filled with discipline, emotional trauma, and societal expectations. Her mother’s death left a void that found expression in her dance. The feeling of not understanding one’s own hunger or confusion became central to her choreographic themes. She used dance to explore identity, womanhood, and personal freedom. Her work is deeply autobiographical in spirit.
What internal conflict is portrayed in the dance piece Duvidha?Duvidha showcases a woman caught between societal expectations and her yearning for independence. The character sees an image of a powerful woman and feels both envy and confusion. The conflict between her assigned domestic role and her inner desires reflects the artist’s own feelings. This duality is something Kumudini experienced and channelled into her art. The piece resonates with the struggles of many women.
How did Kumudini balance home, family, and dance?
After marriage and motherhood, Kumudini continued to pursue her art despite domestic duties. She was fortunate to have a supportive husband who believed in her. Even though society often restricts women’s careers, she managed to develop her choreography and start a dance school. Her family life and dance life often intersected, teaching her how to navigate shared spaces. She compared this balance to performing with others on stage—respecting space, energy, and dynamics.

Value-Based Question

What does Kumudini Lakhia’s life teach us about perseverance and the role of art in self-discovery?

Kumudini’s life is a powerful reminder that self-discovery often comes through struggle and introspection. Even when she did not enjoy dance at first, she persisted. Her hardships, emotions, and questions shaped her as a person and as an artist. She used dance not just as performance but as a tool to explore deeper truths. Her journey shows that art can be a bridge between pain and purpose, tradition and transformation.

End

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