Lessons from My Mothers
Sonali Skandan
Gibney Theater, New York
7 and 8 November 2025
Reviewed By: Gouri Veerubhotla
Lessons from My Mothers, presented by Jiva Performing Arts that premiered at The Gibney Theater on November 7 and 8, 2025 was a Bharatanatyam-based dance ballet choreographed and directed by Sonali Skandan. Featuring Sonali Skandan, Aparna Shankar, and Rithika Ashok, the production blended classical dance, theater, and spoken word to portray the intergenerational experiences of South Asian immigrant women. Centered around a handwritten cookbook, an emblem of memory and survival, the narrative unfolded through moments of departure, adaptation, loss, and rediscovery. It followed three women – Mother, Masi, and Kaki – as they left familiar shores, navigated new identities, and passed their quiet strength to the next generation.
Skandan’s choreography skillfully intertwined narrative abhinaya with pure rhythmic dance, using Bharatanatyam’s expressive language to evoke a range of emotions. The opening scenes established a sense of longing and hope as the dancers prepared to leave their homeland, their movements echoing the physical and emotional weight of migration. Later, a rhythmic passage using suitcases effectively conveyed their journey and the uncertainty of settling in a new country. Another powerful sequence depicted the monotony and stillness of immigrant life through repetitive gestures – stirring, folding, waiting – evoking the feeling of being suspended between worlds.
Each performer brought individuality and depth to her role. Sonali Skandan, as the Mother and Great-Grandmother, embodied quiet resilience and poise, her mature abhinaya reflecting both strength and restraint. Aparna Shankar, portraying Masi, brought warmth and grace to her character’s defiance and tenderness, especially in moments exploring love that crossed cultural and religious boundaries. Rithika Ashok, in the dual roles of Grandmother and Kaki, was striking in her emotional expressiveness, capturing both youthful idealism and the loneliness of a woman redefining herself in an unfamiliar land. Their ensemble work was precise and well-synchronized, with transitions that flowed seamlessly between individual and collective narratives.
For me, Lessons from My Mothers transcended the personal stories it portrayed. It became a mirror for the broader South Asian immigrant experience. The cookbook, filled with substitutions and adaptations, symbolized how culture and identity evolve when transplanted. I was particularly moved by moments that spoke of receiving devastating news from afar, or the delicate act of preserving memory through recipes that connect generations. As a South Asian immigrant woman, I found these themes deeply relatable: the feeling of standing out yet yearning to belong, the loneliness that coexists with pride in heritage, and the quiet power of women who nurture continuity in the midst of change.
Overall, Lessons from My Mothers was an evocative and heartfelt production that merged classical bharatanatyam with contemporary storytelling. The music, composed under the direction of Rajkumar Bharathi, beautifully complemented the choreography, though a minor technical issue caused abrupt breaks between scenes. One section featured a lively folk-style dance, which, while visually engaging, felt slightly out of step with the otherwise consistent Bharatanatyam aesthetic. A closer alignment in movement vocabulary, or a clearer stylistic transition, could strengthen the cohesion of the piece. Nonetheless, Sonali Skandan’s vision and the dancers’ artistry shone through, making the production a moving tribute to the endurance and grace of immigrant women, and a reminder that the lessons of our mothers continue to guide and define us.
