Dancer-actor Lauren Gottlieb, who balances her life between her base abroad and a home in India, remains vocal about her ‘deep love for Indian festivals, culture, and traditions.’”
“The kind of love and warmth you feel during festivals, especially Navratri, is unmissable throughout the year, and all nine days hold a special place in my heart because of my love for dance,” says Gottlieb.
On soaking in festive energy via her musical acts, she shares, “Somehow, whenever there’s a stage, I find my way onto it. Performing at big Garba and Dandiya celebrations and exchanging energy with the crowd is one of my favourite ways to experience the festival. I spend half my time working and the other half flying to my next commitment,” she notes.
Though she loves that her celebrations reach far beyond the country, “I am usually hopping from here to overseas, but festivals just keep me rooted here. It keeps me connected even while I am travelling. As an artist, I carry the culture I imbibe from the people here. I deeply carry the fun, fervour, and spiritual stories, a connection that has become something my heart craves. Slowly, I have learnt a lot, and now I am totally part of all the celebrations. The more I learn, the more meaning there is in what I create,” she says.
“There’s something beautiful about people coming together and dancing for hours, across generations, with so much joy and devotion. Movement becomes a shared celebration,” she adds.
{{/usCountry}}“There’s something beautiful about people coming together and dancing for hours, across generations, with so much joy and devotion. Movement becomes a shared celebration,” she adds.
{{/usCountry}}On her celebrations this year, “This may be the first year in a long time that I won’t be able to be part of Navratri celebrations at a stretch and will have to perform abroad. But I will carry Garba, my top pick, with Dandiya a close second for the instant connection it creates when tapping sticks in rhythm and sharing a moment of joy wherever and whenever I am performing.”
As for festive food, she follows a simple motto: “Anyone who’s celebrated in India knows that saying ‘no, thank you’ usually just means another helping on your yummy festive thali is on its way, so I’ve learned to stay hungry and enjoy falhari thali to the fullest!”