Opening Doorz

By Martin D’Souza | Opening Doorz Editorial | April 16, 2025

In a world increasingly focused on shortcuts, speed, and spectacle, Melitta D’Souza is a rare artist who dares to slow down, go deeper, and move with meaning. A choreographer and contemporary dancer with a rich foundation in Hip Hop, Ballet, Kalaripayattu, and more, Melitta’s movement today is not bound by style—it’s an honest reflection of her journey, thoughts, and emotions.

For her, dance is no longer about form, but freedom. It’s a language she’s spent over 15 years developing—one that speaks, not just to the eye, but to the soul.

This personal approach shines through in Araajakta, her first solo work-in-progress. Born during the isolation of lockdown and shaped by emotional intensity and breathwork, it was performed on notable platforms like PECDA (Prakriti Excellence in Contemporary Dance Awards) and the KCC Utsav Festival. Araajakta explores inner chaos and uncertainty with raw physicality. It’s not polished perfection—it’s powerful, unfinished truth.

In addition to Araajakta, Melitta D’Souza is also developing Ripple Effect (working title), a duet piece that explores the dynamics of cause and effect between two bodies in motion. Through thoughtful choreography and deliberate flow, the piece asks bold questions about autonomy, influence, resistance, and change—mirroring not just relationships between dancers but the ripple we each leave on the world around us.

But Melitta D’Souza’s path isn’t without its challenges. As a solo creator, she circumvents the many layers of the artistic process—from self-doubt and creative blocks to logistics like funding, space, and support. In a world that often prioritises fast fame and flashy moves, she stands for something deeper: original work, thoughtful movement, and authentic expression.

Her advice to aspiring dancers is as powerful as her practice—don’t imitate, innovate. Find your language, trust your instincts, and honour your journey. In every step she takes, Melitta D’Souza invites us not just to dance, but to feel, question, and create with courage. She reminds us that dance, at its best, is not performance—it’s presence.

A conversation with this fearless and thoughtful artist.

Excerpts:

With your diverse background in dance styles such as Hip Hop, Contemporary, Ballet, and Kalaripayattu, how do these forms contribute to your artistry?

Every dance form is different in its technique and its approach to music. Being trained in these multiple styles has helped me be more versatile as a dancer and enhanced my physical capabilities in strength, flexibility, technique, and agility. It has also broadened my mind and helped me see different perspectives on creation, different approaches to training, and understand my own body. Practicing these styles over the last 15 years has helped me find my own ‘movement language’ and now it’s not a particular style… It’s just movement and expression for me.

Is this what Araajakta (your first solo work-in-progress) is about?

Yes. Araajakta originates from a deeply personal place and has evolved over the past two years, beginning during the lockdown. It is an emotionally driven piece that incorporates contemporary dance movements along with extensive breathwork. The physicality of the performance is challenging, embodying the chaos and uncertainty that was felt during that time.

How did your thoughts about this dance form evolve?

It started as an improvisation in my veranda as a virtual presentation for the Sanskar Virtual Festival, and then was revised into a stage performance piece. Araajakta (WIP) was performed at platforms like Prakriti Excellence in Contemporary Dance Awards, KCC Kolkata Utsav festival, IFBE Independence Day Project, and Viewpoint, Mumbai and Pune. The piece is still being developed. I want to make it a full work of around 30-40 minutes.

What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of your creative process?

One of the most challenging aspects of my creative process is staying motivated and believing in myself and my choices while creating alone. Throughout this journey, I have always discovered something new about myself.

During the creative process, there are many times when one might feel stuck or find oneself repeating patterns, especially if working alone. Sometimes it needs an outside view and perspective to change that.

Add to it the logistical part of getting rehearsal space, applying for grants for funds, getting artists to perform for the work, lights, sound, costume, managing budgets, managing everyone’s schedules, and once the work is ready, finding platforms to show the work. Amidst all this, one needs daily training and recovery of the body to prevent/deal with injuries.

What are the challenges and opportunities of working in this field today?

Today, we live in a world that values fast results and shortcuts. Many people focus on learning choreography instead of mastering the foundational elements of dance. There’s a tendency to imitate others, with individuals rising to fame through displays of skill rather than original work that emerges from a genuine creative process. In this environment, it can be challenging to attract an audience for abstract contemporary dance. As a teacher, I find it difficult to engage students interested in learning dance from its foundational principles.

Is it safe to say that contemporary dance lacks audience appeal?

As for earnings, unfortunately, in the dance field, the demand is higher for commercial work, events, and weddings, which have higher earnings. Contemporary dance has little space and a small community, especially in India. Even if we apply for government funding, preference is given to Classical Indian works.

So, this balance between earning and still creating strong abstract dance works, which have very little to no earnings, takes a lot of mental, emotional, and physical strength.

What are some misconceptions about contemporary dance that you would like to address?

One of the misconceptions of contemporary dance is that it’s very flowy and slow. Believe me, it’s not. Also, due to incorrect or one-sided depictions of dance on Television, the general public is only exposed to the balletic or acrobatic side of the form, involving a lot of wow factor, loud movements like flips and jumps. The most important thing that contemporary dance should do is to ask the question, WHY? Every movement should have a reason otherwise, it is meaningless.

Contemporary dance has now evolved significantly. It incorporates various principles and practices, drawing influence from other physical art forms such as Indian dance forms, martial arts, yoga, floorwork, breathwork, and much more.

Collaboration with artists from various disciplines is vital. How does it influence one’s work?

I love engaging in interdisciplinary work because there is always so much to learn from artists and art forms from different disciplines. In contemporary dance, we often explore creative ideas, and incorporating other mediums can enhance our work. Collaborating with artists from various fields provides more opportunities for exploration, experimentation, and creation.

Considering your experience in both stage and film, how does your approach to choreography vary depending on the medium?

Choreography for stage and film must be approached differently. In stage performances, it is essential to consider the use of space and experiment with different formations to create a cohesive visual picture. In contrast, films provide a range of options, including various types of shots such as close-ups and long shots, as well as different camera angles, lighting, and expression of the actors.

With films, the detailing has to be very specific, as every small thing is visible. So when I plan the choreography, I think of all these things.

What advice would you give to aspiring dancers wanting to enter this field?

One piece of advice I share with my students is that I don’t want them to become clones of me. Instead, I encourage them to take what I teach and make it their own. This is my biggest piece of advice for aspiring dancers: avoid being a follower. Find your path, develop your movement language, and express yourself uniquely. Become independent thinkers and creators. Keep exploring, freestyling, and practicing.

Each artist is unique, so believe in yourself. Accept your limitations and work on them. Trust your instincts and choices, as they define who you are.

Image Credit: Melitta D’Souza

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