Becoming



While I was in Odisha, I spent some time photographing five young boys between six and ten, as they prepared for a Gotipua performance. Gotipua is a traditional dance form from Odisha, where young boys dress as women to portray stories of devotion.

They sat together, getting their makeup done, arranging their hair and helping each other with little things along the way. Everyone seemed to know what came next, except one boy who kept catching my eye. He seemed to be looking at the others for cues, perhaps reassurance, perhaps just trying to figure things out. I couldn't quite tell but I found myself going back to him.

I kept photographing him, curious about what I was seeing. Then, as the preparations gave way to the performance, something shifted. The looking stopped, the body took over and the rhythm found its way in.

There was nothing left to figure out. Only the dance.