Highlighting the syncretic nature of Rajasthani culture with its Hindu and Sufi influences, the program offered two compositions inspired by the bhajans (devotional songs) of the mystics. In “Kanudo” (Krishna Does Not Know My Love for Him), composed by the sixteenth-century, female, Hindu mystic poet Mirabai; Tripathi danced with Krishna’s signifier—a flute, adorned with a jaunty red ribbon. In one moment, she danced as a doting lover, using the flute as a stand-in for her beloved Krishna. In the next, she narrated the god’s feats as she took on his magnetic energy and mimed his flute-playing. As the song recounted how Krishna mesmerizes each devotee to feel as if she alone has an encounter with him, Tripathi circled the space with a formidable set of chaîné turns on her knees—in essence—multiplying Krishna’s presence. Building to a state of ecstasy, she pulled off another set of spins—this time, moving from a deep squat to an upright stance again and again.

For the “Sufi Poem,” composed of couplets by the Indian mystics Bulleh Shah and Kabir, Tripathi entered the dance space with her cream-colored jacket (worn over her full, blue dress), pulled up to cover her face. She eventually allowed the garment to settle on her shoulders and gestured pulling a thread from her heart, which led her to weave a floor pattern between the seated musicians. The work culminated with an amazing image that evolved from another set of Kathak spins. As the multiple layers of Tripathi’s costume filled and floated upward like a blossoming flower, she again hoisted the jacket to cover her face—losing her “self”—swirling into union with what the mystics term “the Formless Divine.”