Indian classical dance is often spoken about as devotion, as prayer, as something sacred that must be protected through reverence and obedience. I was trained inside this framing, but I have never fully belonged to it. Over time, I have come to understand that when devotion is treated as a requirement rather than a choice, Indian classical dance becomes inaccessible, not just aesthetically, but socially, politically, and structurally. I want to be clear, my issue is not with