Mesma Belsaré – Dance/USA Artist Fellow

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Image Description: Mesma Belsaré, an Indian classical dancer is seated against a dark blue background. She wears a green sequined shirt and earrings. Her hair is long, dark and untied, as she looks and smiles directly at the camera. Photo by Paul Herb.

Mesma Belsaré

she/her/hers

Lenni Lenape/Tappan; West New York, NJ

Mesma Belsaré is a multidisciplinary dance artist. Her work speaks towards creating and occupying space for and by South Asian trans/queer artists and expanding avenues for gender-non-conforming voices in dance. Belsaré received classical training in dance and music in India, and after immigrating to the United States, worked towards disruption of gender stereotypes and advocacy for LGBTQ voices through dance, theater and the visual arts. With her mentor Maya Kulkarni in New York, Belsaré is developing a new dance style ‘Shilpa Natanam’ (Dancing Sculptures) that departs radically from the gender-distinct styles of movement, reframes narratives, and explores new expressive themes and techniques. During the COVID pandemic 2020-21, Belsaré created two dance films that challenged perceptions of women characters in classical mythology and religion. Belsaré served the cause of LGBTQ rights through organizations like MASALA (Massachusetts South Asian LGBTQ Association), MAP (Massachusetts Asian + Pacific Islanders) for Health, BAGLY (The Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth), The History Project (Documenting, Preserving, and Sharing New England’s LGBTQ History), and her engagement as a multidisciplinary dance artist addressing the youth at several U.S. public universities and colleges. She is the co-founder of Samvād Boston, a community space for Indian classical dancers and musicians. Belsaré, with a lifelong immersion in Indian classical dance, music, theater, art-education, painting and graphic design, derives inspiration from performing and visual arts alike. She currently lives and works in New York and intends to continue inspiring communities for social change. 

For more information about Mesma Belsaré:

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Image description: A stage shot of dancer Mesma Belsaré: She is clad in a red and yellow dance costume. Her hair is coiffed in a bun with white flowers and she wears a red/gold stole and golden jewelry in her hair, ears, neck and wrists. She raises her right leg in a bent position while gesturing to aim with a “bow and arrow” to her left. A papier-mâché sculpture bust in red and yellow sits at her foot. Photo by Gajen Sunthara.

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