This is Divyanka, an award-winning performer of Bharatantyam, a style of Indian Classical Dance. Divyanka arrived to her session in costume, which was quite intricate and beautiful, as you can see (she told me later it takes over an hour to put on). Then she and her mother began to apply the red paint (alta) to her feet and hands. Once this was done and she was ready, we made some traditional portraits, and then Divyanka began to execute a series of precise poses, expressions and gestures--each combination of which has a different meaning. When I showed her the finished pictures, I asked her whether she was evaluating them on how she looked in general or if she was evaluating how well she'd executed the poses. The latter, she said. She is seeking perfection.
