Ingrained Way of Living takes a comparative look at human behavior in an attempt to understand it better. The book is a rare account of an Iranian in the world of classical ballet; his experience in Iran and the United States, entanglement with politics, and its effects on daily life.
Nahvi: I wasn't trying to be provocative, but what I have said in political terms, in social terms, in the world of art, continues to hold true. I tried to be very frank and wrote about my experiences as a child in Iran and later as a teenager in the United States, attempting to break grounds in the world of art, specifically classical dance. The book covers the origin of the first attempt for an all-Iranian dance company in the 1970s, which I was part of.
The main subject of the book is why democracy does not work in a collective society, in this case Iran, but can also be applied to neighboring countries; a subject matter that has rarely been covered in respect to the Middle East.
Nahvi: The idea came to me while I was essentially writing about my experiences, not just as an Iranian and a dancer but also as someone who has experienced a multitude of different individualistic societies. Therefore, it makes sense to use such experiences as an example. You will also find references to different ballet schools and their activities and/or social context, which are rarely written about or discussed openly.
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