Dancing To Her Own Tune

Darshana Borkotoky is making a name for herself in the field of classical dance

Hailing from Nazira in Sivasagar, Darshana grew up around family who were inclined towards art and culture. Although the influence was present from a young age, she never really imaged of taking up a career in music or dance, until she happened to chance upon a classical dance workshop. She fell in love with Bharatnatyam at first sight, and then, there was no looking back. Mentored by some of the best in classical dance, this talented dancer has performed at different venues across the globe. Recently, she organized an event of her own that received a lot of positive feedback.

Love at First Sight

Darshana grew up in a nurturing environment. ‘After I was born, for a couple of years, we lived at my grandparents’ home. I grew up around rice fields, vegetable gardens, ponds with different types of fish, cattle farms and all. Our relatives lived nearby. So, I remember spending a lot of time with all my cousins. The best thing about my family is that everyone is somehow or the other related to art and culture. My eldest uncle was very fond of the tabla, so was my father, who would sing, and sings well till date. My eldest aunt was involved in theatre, as was my younger uncle who was a known theatre artist when he was young. So, I was always exposed to art and music.’ Her family get-togethers would always include music sessions. ‘We used to have ghazal and folk music sessions; relatives would carry instruments like harmonium, or tablas. I feel that environment influenced me, and my brother, who is currently a musician and a background music scorer.’