Digging Deeper: Reflections on Discover Dance 2025
Purawai Vyas - Writer-in-Residence, shares her reflections on The Lady Comes Home by Dainty Smith in process and performance for DISCOVER DANCE 2025
I have had the privilege of watching Dainty Smith’s The Lady Comes Home three times—during its development, in performance, and again in a different theatre setting. Each time, the work revealed something new, reminding me that dance, in its truest form, is not static but evershifting, depending on the space, the moment, and the vulnerability of the artist.
At its core, this piece is about stripping away glitz and glam—literally and metaphorically. Burlesque, often associated with spectacle, glamour, and hustle culture, is here reimagined as a deeply intimate act. Dainty often speaks about the empowering effect of red lipstick, a marker of confidence in both her daily life and her artistic persona. Yet in this work, she removes that symbol entirely, joking that this is “the most naked” she has ever felt. I found that the choice speaks volumes: vulnerability becomes its own kind of radical empowerment.
The work is inspired by the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale, and follows a woman returning to her bedroom after a long day, undressing, and confronting herself in solitude. What emerges is not just sensuality, but a layered exploration of grief, resilience, missed chances, and the private rituals of selfhood. To me, the piece imagines what dance looks like when no one is watching. I feel that is where its courage lies—in confronting the raw, unadorned parts of the self, and offering them, unapologetically, to an audience.
As someone who practices Bharatanatyam, I found myself relating deeply to Dainty’s reflections on dance existing “in the margins.” Burlesque, like Indian classical dance, often occupies a liminal space—caught between tradition, community expectations, and the need to evolve within a broader, often skeptical, cultural landscape. Both forms are constantly negotiating their place in the world, balancing respect for lineage with the urgent need to remain alive and relevant. What moved me most was hearing Dainty describe the sacrifices entwined with choosing dance as a vocation—how it can come at the cost of relationships, family expectations, or cultural acceptance. This resonated with my own journey, as I, too, navigate the complexities of legitimizing dance as a profession, demanding it be regarded with the same respect as any other art form or career.
The studio process between Dainty and Dramaturg, Vivine Scarlett, rooted in conversation, reflection, and personal storytelling, shaped movement that felt profoundly authentic. It is rare for artists to have the time and space to develop work in this way—slowly, deliberately, with room for transformation. Watching the piece across multiple iterations made that process visible to me; each version carried new textures, shifting the character’s presence in subtle but powerful ways.
What excites me about this work is the way it expands the language of burlesque. It is not only entertainment but also a storytelling practice—charged with vulnerability and courage. Witnessing Dainty transform the form in this way has been inspiring, and I have found resonances at Nova Dance as I engaged in remounting Maskura. Like Dainty’s work, Maskura attempts to stretch the boundaries of form: interrogating tradition, challenging expectations, and uncovering new possibilities for dance to speak.
Lastly, this work reminded me of why I chose this path, why I choose to dance in the diaspora and why I choose to work in between dance styles. No matter the technique, no matter the tradition, what lingers is the story and the humanity within it.