We all at some point of time have had wrong misconceptions about therapists and the term ‘therapists’ has also been used in the wrong context. But after knowing about Tripura Kashyap and her dance therapy one would realise that venturing into an unexplored territory is about having confidence and strength to pull you through difficult times.After finishing her graduation in classical dance from Kalakshetra College of fine arts Chennai, Tripura Kashyap started her career as a performing artist in Chandralekha Dance Company in Chennai. She continued to work as a performing artist and a choreographer for many years. But she always craved to do something extraordinary with her art. To boldly go where no one has gone before does indeed require a leap of faith and a hope for a market that may not even exist but she was determined to overcome all hurdles when she was introduced to the concept of ‘dance therapy’. Dance therapy is the psychotherapeutic use of dance for emotional, cognitive, social, behavioural and physical conditions.The therapy enhances emotional and physical unity of individuals, making effective changes in feelings, cognition and physical functioning. Her brother who is physically challenged was her source of inspiration. “I used to see him responding to various forms of music and that made me think about the possibilities of using dance as a tool for healing. I wanted to know more about dance therapy and hence, I studied dance therapy at Hancock Center for Movement Therapy in US,” says Kashyap. On her return from the US, Kashyap started Apoorva Dance Theatre in Bangalore. Later she received the Ashoka International Fellowship for her innovative work in dance/movement therapy. “During the fellowship, I travelled all over India training special educators and trainers to use dance therapy as a way of healing. It was an enriching experience,” adds Kashyap. Later Kashyap founded Rainbow Inc, a school where various forms of art like dance, drama etc. are used as therapeutic tools. She is currently researching on the therapeutic potentials in Indian dance forms under a fellowship of the Indian cultural ministry. One of the country’s first dance/movement therapists, Kashyap has many awards to her credit including the ‘Sangeeth Nadak Academy’ award, recognising her contribution to dance/movement therapy. “Dance, for me is a direct expression of oneself through the body. And I want people to understand the significance of gauging a person’s behaviour through the very simple art of dance.” says Kashyap.She has proved that "where there's a will, there is always a way".
