A sensitive portrayal of a young immigrant girl and her passion for Indian classical Kathak dance

Music of the Bells by Anitha Rao-Robinson is a sensitive portrayal of Neela, a young immigrant girl, and her passion for the Indian classical dance form Kathak. As she adjusts to life in a new country, Neela navigates the complexities of embracing the culture of her new home while longing to hold on to the traditions that keep her connected to India. Neela learned Kathak in India and loved how she felt while dancing. When her family moves, she begins to learn ballet. While she loves this new dance form and her new friends, she “misses the music of her bells.” She yearns for the songs her grandmother used to sing while cooking and the melodious sounds of the bansuri (flute) played by her uncle. Most of all, Neela misses the jingling of the bells that Kathak dancers wear on their ankles, creating their own kind of music as they twirl, stomp, and spin. When her dance studio announces an upcoming showcase where dancers can perform any form of dance they wish, Neela eagerly signs up.

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