PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, October 12, 2024 (Public Radio Tulsa): As many parents know, the line between passing along cultural traditions and mortifying your children in public can be perilously thin. For one mother, that dilemma arose this year ahead of Navaratri, a Hindu festival celebrating female strength that culminates today. One of the festival’s key components is garba, an intricate folk dance from the Indian state of Gujarat. Storyteller and playwright Nimisha Ladva says that some of her fondest memories are of attending Navaratri celebrations as a kid in England. “Let’s just start with the clothes,” Ladva said. “They have mirrors and tassels and bells. It’s maximum dress-up possibility.” But the heart of these festivals was garba, and particularly the women dancing. “This is women taking up space literally, in a way that was different from normal life,” Ladva said.

Now teaching at Haverford College outside Philadelphia, Ladva wanted to share the thrill of garba with her daughters. One problem, though. She had no moves. “On a scale of one to 10,” she said, “I might make like a two.” She wanted to improve. So this year, she enlisted the help of a coordinated friend to give Ladva and her two daughters garba lessons. They planned to test their skills at their local temple’s Navaratri celebration. Ladva’s daughters, though, were not as enthusiastic — as 12-year old Himani revealed while chatting with her mom. “How awkward is that going to be?” Himani said at their home in Wynnewood, PA. “Would you like to be able to do some more of the steps?” Ladva asked. “No,” Himani said. Ladva’s other daughter, 15-year old Medha, was skeptical of the whole project. “I love my culture,” she said, “and I’m happy to be Indian. But I’d rather learn organically with my friends or on a holiday.”

More of Ladva’s account of their ultimately successful dance:
https://www.publicradiotulsa.org/npr-national-news/2024-10-12/how-to-pass-along-religious-traditions-without-embarrassing-your-teenagers

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