Neelam Patel … and Neelam Patel

Local actress/poet/dancer Neelam Patel’s first foray into the arts was through the world of dance, training and performing in the classical Indian styles of Bharatanatyam and Odissi. An injury forced her to take a hiatus from dancing and in order to feed her creative hunger, she began taking acting classes at Studio Theater, Dody Desanto’s movement-based classes at The Center, as well as classes in New York. Patel also became a regular at the numerous open mics that take place throughout the city, at venues such as Bar Nun and Bohemian Caverns. These experiences led to performances in The Vagina Monologues, a television pilot, and several short films.

Patel then decided to put her multi-disciplinary artistry to use in her first solo performance piece, Sensual Reflections. Premiering at the inaugural Capital Fringe Festival, the well-received piece explored themes of personal identity and feminine sexuality through a combination of spoken word and dance. She continues her exploration of the feminine South Asian-American experience through poetry, dance, and music in Stripping Borders, which premieres this Thursday at Arlington’s Theatre on the Run.

Neelam Patel took time out of her busy rehearsal schedule to discuss Stripping Borders and her budding acting career with DCist.