Saroja Vaidyanathan
"...Married women, whether they agree or not with the old adage about a woman's place being in the home, often do find that if they stay away from it for too long, the exalted edifice really does begin to fall apart at an alarming rate, literally and metaphorically. Round the world and down the ages, this situation has posed a challenge to women.
Some found the answer to this challenge in striking out on their own, dispensing with the props -- and the bondage -- of husband, children and extended family. Others, especially in India, found that they could use their tact, skills and time in such a way as to maintain their place behind the lace curtain, but at the same time make the outer world come inside. That this kind of compromise frequently takes place in India is not surprising, considering this is the land where the word 'adjust' has taken on mystical meanings.
Saroja Vaidyanathan, Bharata Natyam exponent and guru, author and founder of Ganesa Natyalaya, is one woman who found her destiny through this attitude of adjustment. At sixty-one, in the midst of the year-long Silver Jubilee celebrations of her institute, Guru Saroja tells her story with a disarming simplicity, devoid of rancour.
Married in her teens to an IAS officer posted in Bihar, the young Saroja, trained in Bharata Natyam by Guru Lalitha, a direct disciple of Kattumannar Muthukumaran Pillai, and in Carnatic music by the celebrated Professor P Sambamoorthy, suddenly found herself in an atmosphere where classical dance was derided as "Nautanki."
"Why does your wife need to do Nautanki? What does she lack at home?" was the constant query of her husband's concerned colleagues. Naturally enough, her husband could not remain unaffected, and persuaded her to stop dancing. So for some years Saroja fitted herself into the strait jacket of the ideal housewife. Of course this could not go on forever, and surely enough the obedient young wife was soon guardedly peeking out of her gilded nest for a glimpse of the sky. She wouldn't dance, she assured her husband. But could she teach dance to children? Mr Vaidyanathan could not see anything scandalous about teaching children, and permission was easily granted.
Saroja Vaidyanathan got back in touch with the art she loved, and as she became known as a teacher, public opinion did an amusing about-face. "Why does your wife only teach dance?" was the refrain of anxious colleagues this time. "She should also perform!"
And so it was that Saroja Vaidyanathan began to give small performances at venues previously vetted and okayed as "decent," such as the Rotary Club and other social gatherings. In later years she gave many performances in different parts of India and the world. But it was her natural aptitude for teaching that was destined to bring her into the limelight. Her husband's transfer to the capital in 1972 was probably the healthiest thing that could have happened to her own career.
As students started trickling in to her classes at the spacious government quarters in central Delhi, a bolder dream than to merely be a dancer and teacher began to broaden her horizons. The seeds of a thriving institution, dedicated to the teaching and propagation of Bharata Natyam, were germinating in her fertile imagination. The Ganesa Natyalaya was officially established in 1974, but the ground reality of three disciples and a young teacher mocked at the grandiose dream.
Recalling the lack of encouragement on this front from her husband, she clarifies that his main concern was that his integrity as a highly placed government official should not be questioned. He felt his image would suffer if he supported her. On the other hand, he could not imagine his wife might be capable of carrying out the project by herself. It is not surprising therefore, that he discouraged her in perfectly good faith, and emphatically reminded her that any attempt to single handedly build up an entire institution, and that too in Delhi, was ridiculous.
"I am a very determined person," she goes on genially, explaining how she got round the problem. Mr. Jagmohan, then Lt. Governor of Delhi, was known to the Vaidyanathans in his official as well as personal capacities. When Guru Saroja expressed the desire to acquire a plot of land in the Qutub Institutional Area (QIA) to construct a building for her institute, he gently persuaded Mr Vaidyanathan to let her try.
The Institutional Area was brand new then, and the price for the plot of land was only about a Lakh of rupees: cheap enough for someone who had the money, but a challenge for Saroja, whose husband told her she could expect no help whatsoever from him in raising funds. She set about collecting the money with the help of well wishers and sponsors. Pitching in with her personal savings, she managed to purchase the land in 1981. After this achievement, her husband was delighted to acknowledge her capabilities and thereafter extended his whole hearted support to her endeavours. The building was inaugurated in 1988.
In the interim, Guru Saroja continued with her performances and the evening classes at home. Early mornings found her at the site, sitting with the workers, overseeing the construction, and steadfastly praying that the empty and frightening wilderness in which she stood would one day resonate with the sound of music, dance and laughter.
Since the Natyalaya was one of the first institutions to move into its new premises in the QIA, it had no neighbours. The Founder President found herself lamenting to Mr Jagmohan, "How will we get students in the midst of this jungle!" But he assured her that the QIA would be a bustling and prime property soon enough, and of course he was right.
Today the road to Ganesa Natyalaya is lined with the huge boards and elegant gateways of renowned government and private institutions. Amidst the elaborate architecture of some of the other buildings, the simply designed Natyalaya presents almost a retiring look. There is no elegant reception area with gleaming brass lamps or ornate sculptures to greet visitors. But this is a place vibrant with constructive activity.
The rows and rows of footwear on the steps outside; the proud wooden boards inside displaying the names of the eighty students who have completed their arangetram so far, the walls of the classrooms adorned with large mirrors; and the scores of busy young people immersed in perfecting different aspects of their dance, all tell the story of the hard work and remarkable success of one immensely strong and dedicated individual.
On the paid staff of the Natyalaya are twelve dance teachers, mostly drawn from Guru Saroja's own disciples, apart from teachers for Carnatic vocal music, mridangam, Tamil, and Hindi as well as a full-time receptionist. All the students are required to learn to sing their dance items once they reach the Jatiswaram stage. They also learn to recite their jatis and korvais with the tala. In addition they learn stotras, apart from the shlokas connected to dance. The Tamil teacher ensures that they understand in detail the meanings of the Tamil lyrics of their dance items. For seniors and other interested students, she is available to take proper language classes. Similarly, the mridangam teacher imparts the basics of percussion to senior students. Students who are absorbed as dance teachers receive training in nattuvangam from their guru before taking up their duties.
With over a hundred students of varying capacities and ages on the regular roles and about fifty seniors who come from time to time for master classes, the administration of the institute is a mind boggling responsibility. Now that the teaching tasks are delegated between so many, Guru Saroja revels in the role of chief administrator.
Some of her students are holders of scholarships from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) or from the Council for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT). These come to the Natyalaya daily at ten in the morning and stay till six in the evening. During these eight hours they receive intensive training in Bharata Natyam along with related subjects. Hindi is a compulsory subject in the case of overseas students.
Part-time students receive two classes a week. These include school and college going children, who come during the afternoons, and adults who prefer morning sessions or weekends only. Apart from personally teaching the seniors and scholarship holders, Guru Saroja ensures the standard of the junior classes by conducting regular "spot checks."
Two large bookshelves of reference books stand in the office. All the dance dramas choreographed so far, as well as major performances by the troupe have been documented in a video library. Every year, she makes professional music recordings of the Bharata Natyam items choreographed by her. Copies of this music are available to students on payment of a nominal fee when required. The video, music and reading libraries are looked after by student helpers who are paid a token remuneration for their services to the Natyalaya. Similarly, the costumes, jewelry and photographs are looked after by students made mature by their guru's trust in them. The Natyalaya is an impressive example of decentralization not many institutions could boast of..
Guru Saroja is a prolific choreographer, with ten full length ballets and "around two thousand" individual Bharata Natyam items to her credit. Imaginative and lively choreography ensure that the performances of her troupe meet with popular appreciation in India as well as other countries. She makes it a point to pay her students for participating in performances of the Natyalaya, thus inculcating in them a sense of responsibility and pride in their work.
Today her students are known for their taut lines, confident technique and charming stage presence. If this was not the norm two decades ago, it is a measure of the multi-dimensional growth of the guru who has kept an open mind and blossomed along with her institution. To create such a large pool of competent Bharata Natyam dancers in Delhi is no mean achievement, as any teacher of the art will admit. Students of other gurus have also opted at times to train with Saroja Vaidyanathan for higher studies, bearing testimony not only to the success of her teaching skills but also the gentle temperament that endears her to everyone.
Saroja Vaidyanathan stands out in several ways from many other artists. She is so dignified that she actually relinquished the flat in the Asiad Village complex allotted to her under the artists' quota by the government when, after her husband's retirement, they decided to move to the tiny residential space in the Natyalaya premises in order to be closer to the work.
Though Saroja Vaidyanathan does not indulge in irrelevant or harmful gossip, she has had her share of brickbats, and cannot help voicing her offense at the whispers that success came easily to her because she was the wife of a high government official. Since deeds speak louder than words, she can afford to ignore any unfair criticism. Instead, she can be proud that she learnt her administrative lessons well. Though her husband is no longer by her side she is in complete command of the multiple activities of the institute.
If she has been criticized she has been amply recognized too. The Sahitya Kala Parishad Award, the titles of Natya Tilakam and Natya Kala Bhushani, and the latest among them, the prestigious Kalaimamani award of Tamil Nadu are some of the honours that have come her way.
As the Ganesa Natyalaya goes into its twenty-sixth year, its members and the ordinary citizens can be grateful that the wilderness became an orchard, and that the air is full of the sounds of song and dance, of laughter and prayer."
"...Married women, whether they agree or not with the old adage about a woman's place being in the home, often do find that if they stay away from it for too long, the exalted edifice really does begin to fall apart at an alarming rate, literally and metaphorically. Round the world and down the ages, this situation has posed a challenge to women.
Some found the answer to this challenge in striking out on their own, dispensing with the props -- and the bondage -- of husband, children and extended family. Others, especially in India, found that they could use their tact, skills and time in such a way as to maintain their place behind the lace curtain, but at the same time make the outer world come inside. That this kind of compromise frequently takes place in India is not surprising, considering this is the land where the word 'adjust' has taken on mystical meanings.
Saroja Vaidyanathan, Bharata Natyam exponent and guru, author and founder of Ganesa Natyalaya, is one woman who found her destiny through this attitude of adjustment. At sixty-one, in the midst of the year-long Silver Jubilee celebrations of her institute, Guru Saroja tells her story with a disarming simplicity, devoid of rancour.
Married in her teens to an IAS officer posted in Bihar, the young Saroja, trained in Bharata Natyam by Guru Lalitha, a direct disciple of Kattumannar Muthukumaran Pillai, and in Carnatic music by the celebrated Professor P Sambamoorthy, suddenly found herself in an atmosphere where classical dance was derided as "Nautanki."
"Why does your wife need to do Nautanki? What does she lack at home?" was the constant query of her husband's concerned colleagues. Naturally enough, her husband could not remain unaffected, and persuaded her to stop dancing. So for some years Saroja fitted herself into the strait jacket of the ideal housewife. Of course this could not go on forever, and surely enough the obedient young wife was soon guardedly peeking out of her gilded nest for a glimpse of the sky. She wouldn't dance, she assured her husband. But could she teach dance to children? Mr Vaidyanathan could not see anything scandalous about teaching children, and permission was easily granted.
Saroja Vaidyanathan got back in touch with the art she loved, and as she became known as a teacher, public opinion did an amusing about-face. "Why does your wife only teach dance?" was the refrain of anxious colleagues this time. "She should also perform!"
And so it was that Saroja Vaidyanathan began to give small performances at venues previously vetted and okayed as "decent," such as the Rotary Club and other social gatherings. In later years she gave many performances in different parts of India and the world. But it was her natural aptitude for teaching that was destined to bring her into the limelight. Her husband's transfer to the capital in 1972 was probably the healthiest thing that could have happened to her own career.
As students started trickling in to her classes at the spacious government quarters in central Delhi, a bolder dream than to merely be a dancer and teacher began to broaden her horizons. The seeds of a thriving institution, dedicated to the teaching and propagation of Bharata Natyam, were germinating in her fertile imagination. The Ganesa Natyalaya was officially established in 1974, but the ground reality of three disciples and a young teacher mocked at the grandiose dream.
Recalling the lack of encouragement on this front from her husband, she clarifies that his main concern was that his integrity as a highly placed government official should not be questioned. He felt his image would suffer if he supported her. On the other hand, he could not imagine his wife might be capable of carrying out the project by herself. It is not surprising therefore, that he discouraged her in perfectly good faith, and emphatically reminded her that any attempt to single handedly build up an entire institution, and that too in Delhi, was ridiculous.
"I am a very determined person," she goes on genially, explaining how she got round the problem. Mr. Jagmohan, then Lt. Governor of Delhi, was known to the Vaidyanathans in his official as well as personal capacities. When Guru Saroja expressed the desire to acquire a plot of land in the Qutub Institutional Area (QIA) to construct a building for her institute, he gently persuaded Mr Vaidyanathan to let her try.
The Institutional Area was brand new then, and the price for the plot of land was only about a Lakh of rupees: cheap enough for someone who had the money, but a challenge for Saroja, whose husband told her she could expect no help whatsoever from him in raising funds. She set about collecting the money with the help of well wishers and sponsors. Pitching in with her personal savings, she managed to purchase the land in 1981. After this achievement, her husband was delighted to acknowledge her capabilities and thereafter extended his whole hearted support to her endeavours. The building was inaugurated in 1988.
In the interim, Guru Saroja continued with her performances and the evening classes at home. Early mornings found her at the site, sitting with the workers, overseeing the construction, and steadfastly praying that the empty and frightening wilderness in which she stood would one day resonate with the sound of music, dance and laughter.
Since the Natyalaya was one of the first institutions to move into its new premises in the QIA, it had no neighbours. The Founder President found herself lamenting to Mr Jagmohan, "How will we get students in the midst of this jungle!" But he assured her that the QIA would be a bustling and prime property soon enough, and of course he was right.
Today the road to Ganesa Natyalaya is lined with the huge boards and elegant gateways of renowned government and private institutions. Amidst the elaborate architecture of some of the other buildings, the simply designed Natyalaya presents almost a retiring look. There is no elegant reception area with gleaming brass lamps or ornate sculptures to greet visitors. But this is a place vibrant with constructive activity.
The rows and rows of footwear on the steps outside; the proud wooden boards inside displaying the names of the eighty students who have completed their arangetram so far, the walls of the classrooms adorned with large mirrors; and the scores of busy young people immersed in perfecting different aspects of their dance, all tell the story of the hard work and remarkable success of one immensely strong and dedicated individual.
On the paid staff of the Natyalaya are twelve dance teachers, mostly drawn from Guru Saroja's own disciples, apart from teachers for Carnatic vocal music, mridangam, Tamil, and Hindi as well as a full-time receptionist. All the students are required to learn to sing their dance items once they reach the Jatiswaram stage. They also learn to recite their jatis and korvais with the tala. In addition they learn stotras, apart from the shlokas connected to dance. The Tamil teacher ensures that they understand in detail the meanings of the Tamil lyrics of their dance items. For seniors and other interested students, she is available to take proper language classes. Similarly, the mridangam teacher imparts the basics of percussion to senior students. Students who are absorbed as dance teachers receive training in nattuvangam from their guru before taking up their duties.
With over a hundred students of varying capacities and ages on the regular roles and about fifty seniors who come from time to time for master classes, the administration of the institute is a mind boggling responsibility. Now that the teaching tasks are delegated between so many, Guru Saroja revels in the role of chief administrator.
Some of her students are holders of scholarships from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) or from the Council for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT). These come to the Natyalaya daily at ten in the morning and stay till six in the evening. During these eight hours they receive intensive training in Bharata Natyam along with related subjects. Hindi is a compulsory subject in the case of overseas students.
Part-time students receive two classes a week. These include school and college going children, who come during the afternoons, and adults who prefer morning sessions or weekends only. Apart from personally teaching the seniors and scholarship holders, Guru Saroja ensures the standard of the junior classes by conducting regular "spot checks."
Two large bookshelves of reference books stand in the office. All the dance dramas choreographed so far, as well as major performances by the troupe have been documented in a video library. Every year, she makes professional music recordings of the Bharata Natyam items choreographed by her. Copies of this music are available to students on payment of a nominal fee when required. The video, music and reading libraries are looked after by student helpers who are paid a token remuneration for their services to the Natyalaya. Similarly, the costumes, jewelry and photographs are looked after by students made mature by their guru's trust in them. The Natyalaya is an impressive example of decentralization not many institutions could boast of..
Guru Saroja is a prolific choreographer, with ten full length ballets and "around two thousand" individual Bharata Natyam items to her credit. Imaginative and lively choreography ensure that the performances of her troupe meet with popular appreciation in India as well as other countries. She makes it a point to pay her students for participating in performances of the Natyalaya, thus inculcating in them a sense of responsibility and pride in their work.
Today her students are known for their taut lines, confident technique and charming stage presence. If this was not the norm two decades ago, it is a measure of the multi-dimensional growth of the guru who has kept an open mind and blossomed along with her institution. To create such a large pool of competent Bharata Natyam dancers in Delhi is no mean achievement, as any teacher of the art will admit. Students of other gurus have also opted at times to train with Saroja Vaidyanathan for higher studies, bearing testimony not only to the success of her teaching skills but also the gentle temperament that endears her to everyone.
Saroja Vaidyanathan stands out in several ways from many other artists. She is so dignified that she actually relinquished the flat in the Asiad Village complex allotted to her under the artists' quota by the government when, after her husband's retirement, they decided to move to the tiny residential space in the Natyalaya premises in order to be closer to the work.
Though Saroja Vaidyanathan does not indulge in irrelevant or harmful gossip, she has had her share of brickbats, and cannot help voicing her offense at the whispers that success came easily to her because she was the wife of a high government official. Since deeds speak louder than words, she can afford to ignore any unfair criticism. Instead, she can be proud that she learnt her administrative lessons well. Though her husband is no longer by her side she is in complete command of the multiple activities of the institute.
If she has been criticized she has been amply recognized too. The Sahitya Kala Parishad Award, the titles of Natya Tilakam and Natya Kala Bhushani, and the latest among them, the prestigious Kalaimamani award of Tamil Nadu are some of the honours that have come her way.
As the Ganesa Natyalaya goes into its twenty-sixth year, its members and the ordinary citizens can be grateful that the wilderness became an orchard, and that the air is full of the sounds of song and dance, of laughter and prayer."
S Sarada: Dance scholar and teacher
A life of accomplishments
"Few carry monumental scholarship, creativity and critical insights with such grace, dignity and humility." – Scholar Kapila Vatsyayan on S Sarada
A life of accomplishments
"Few carry monumental scholarship, creativity and critical insights with such grace, dignity and humility." – Scholar Kapila Vatsyayan on S Sarada
In building up Kalakshetra, Rukmini Devi used her immense talent for persuading others to share her vision and dedicate themselves to the institution. Using this talent, she brought to Kalakshetra great artists like Tiger Varadachariar, his brother K. Krishnamachariar, Mylapore Gowriamma, Budalur Krishnamurthy Sastrigal, Mysore Vasudevachar and Karaikudi Samabasiva Iyer.
All these were stalwarts. Only one who later became a pillar at this temple of arts was virtually a beginner when she entered its portals. It was S Sarada, known within the campus as Peria Sarada, to distinguish her from Sarada Hoffman, aka Chinna Sarada, another teacher.
When Sarada retired from Kalakshetra in 1985, she was acknowledged as a diligent scholar and a fine teacher, but when she came to Kalakshetra in 1939, she was but a young woman of 24, well acquainted with various works of art and advaita but still a non-entity.
Though Sarada had formal education only up to Standard VIII, she had the good fortune to be educated at home by her grandfather, Pandit Subramania Sastri of Tanjavur. She studied with him the Sanskrit plays of Kalidasa, works like Kuvalayakandam and Siddhanta Kaumudi. She assisted him in reading the proofs of works on music, natya and Vedanta, both in Sanskrit and in Tamil. She also read the Yogavasishtha and the Gita with the commentaries of Sankara, Ramanuja and Madhwa. Her grandfather used to ask her to repeat the Dakshinamoorthy sloka which made her understand the advaita philosophy better.
Sarada's grandmother Lakshmi Ammal was also a learned lady from whom she got an insight into her cultural heritage. She learnt the violin initially and later on the veena as well from her mother Meenakshi who was a talented musician and a good vocalist.
Sarada's interest in dance began when her grandfather brought home paintings from the Saraswati Mahal Library in Tanjavur. She was fascinated by the postures of the dancers. On one occasion, as a youngster, she happened to watch a dance recital hiding behind stone pillars; the similarity between the pictures and dance movements seemed to leap out at her. Nonetheless the young girl never dreamt that she would become a dance guru one day, because she understood dance was only for devadasi-s, not for respectable family girls.
In her book entitled 'Kalakshetra-Rukmini Devi,' Sarada has vividly recollected her first impression of Rukmini Devi thus: "When I first saw Rukmini Devi at the pandal of the Music Academy's general session in 1934, I was stunned by her striking personality... Rukmini Devi had come to witness a dance performance and I was watching Rukmini Devi! After a few days I attended a Theosophical Convention meeting at the Theosophical Society... I saw Rukmini Devi for a few minutes. The fascination I felt for her persisted, even after I returned home to Tanjavur."
Sarada witnessed Rukmini Devi's first performance of Bharatanatyam when she attended the Diamond Jubilee Convention of the Theosophical Society in 1935. Just before this, some members of the Theosophical Society said that, considering she was the wife of the President of the Theosophical Society and a pupil of Dr. Besant, the fact that she had taken to this dance might bring a bad name to the Society. But Sarada shared her grandfather's view that this would not happen. She was especially impressed by the dance to the padam Manchi dinamu neday and by the costume she wore which "resembled the
garments etched in the sculptures of dances in our temples."When Pandit Subramania Sastri came to work in the Adyar Library in 1939, Dr. G S Arundale asked him to bring his wife and granddaughter with him to Adyar. Thus Sarada, who lived in seclusion in Tanjavur, was suddenly transplanted into a cosmopolitan society.
Sarada and her grandparents came to Adyar on 17 February 1937 which was Adyar Day. The International Centre for Arts, as Kalakshetra was called then, had been established on 6 January 1936. Subramania Sastri went there everyday. One day a meeting was held to choose an Indian name for registering it and Sastri too attended it. Various names were suggested but Rukmini Devi was not satisfied with any of them, but when Subramania Sastri suggested that the institution be called Kalakshetra, Dr. Arundale and others present accepted immediately.
Once, in August 1939, Sarada was asked to come with her grandfather to attend a private music concert of Papanasam Sivan. After the concert Rukmini Devi told her that she should come every day to Kalakshetra with her grandfather. During these visits, Sarada attended Rukmini Devi's dance rehearsals. One day an idea struck her: why not try to write down the dance? To quote her: "Since I knew music notation, I wrote out the song Ananda natana prakasam of Dikshitar with music notation, and underneath I wrote the gesture names, and beneath the swara-s and the adavu names synchronizing it with the tala thereof."
After some time, Rukmini Devi asked her what she was up to and when Sarada showed her what she had written, she laughed and asked, "How can dance be learnt by notation?" But Rukmini Devi had herself written down the abhinaya parts in sentences and the adavu-s with line pictures to show the form, but not in exact musical notation nor with the exact tala markings. Writing down the dance was the inspirational work of Sarada and her method is still followed in Kalakshetra and also accepted widely elsewhere.
Sarada slowly involved herself in the activities of Kalakshetra. She received much encouragement and guidance from Rukmini Devi who brought out all that was best in the shy young lady. She attended Bharatanatyam classes with Rukmini Devi's niece Radha Sriram (later Radha Burnier). She took Sanskrit classes for junior students and sometimes the veena classes when the teacher was absent. She attended the music classes of Kalidas Neelakanta Iyer, whose special forte was intricate tala. When Rukmini Devi was learning a ragamalika varnam from Pandanallur Meenakshisundaram Pillai, Sarada also attended the class. He taught the straight gesture sequences for the word-for-word meaning.
During this time Kattumannarkoil Muthukumara Pillai and Pandanallur Meenakshisundaram Pillai taught at Kalakshetra occasionally, while Chockalingam Pillai was teaching regularly.
Meenakshisundaram Pillai taught Sarada how to recite the teermanam-s, the 35 tala-s and the sollukattu-s; and the famous mridanga vidwan Bhairavan Pillai taught her how to use the tattukazhi and its tala-s. These helped her to do nattuvangam and sing along with others for the very first public performance of Rukmini Devi. In the event, she became an honorary worker in the dance and music department of Kalakshetra in 1939 and became the Head of the Dance Department in 1940.
When the Kalakshetra troupe went on education and cultural tour of South India, it presented art programs in different places; even Sarada took part in a dance-drama, Samudra Varnana. In Ootacamund, it was suggested that Sarada and Padmasani, one of her senior colleagues, should sing with Chockalingam Pillai and his son Subbarayan for Rukmini Devi’s dance recital there.
Came a time when none of the traditional nattuvanar-s were teaching at Kalakshetra. Then Rukmini Devi, Radha Sriram and Sarada began to take the dance classes.
Sankara Menon told Sarada casually one day that she should teach the alankara sastra, that is the nayika-nayaka bhava, rasa-s, etc. Sarada, Sriram and Radha were already preparing a practical lesson on the usages and gesticulations of the asamyuta and samyuta hasta-s, in accordance with the traditional way of depicting the usages (viniyoga) and they were teaching it in the 'theory' classes. After Radha left Kalakshetra, Sarada continued with preparing practical lessons for the mandala-s, turns, jumps, etc., as described in the Abhinaya Darpana, correlating theory with practice. Sarada chose the Pratapa Rudriyam for this because its sloka-s were in simple Sanskrit. She taught the relevant sloka-s for the nayaka-nayika bhava, as well as for rasa-s, and prepared a chart to explain the bhava-s, determinants, consequents and the different sets of bhava which are transformed as rasa-s or sentiments.
While it was Rukmini Devi who determined what the dance repertoire for each set of students should be, according to his or her ability to learn and individual standard in nritta, abhinaya, etc., it fell to Sarada to teach the students the selected songs.
Sarada was popular as a dance teacher because she taught through persuasion. She was given the Kalakshetra post-graduate diploma as dance teacher in 1961 at its silver jubilee convocation; she drafted the syllabus for teaching dance theory, she was a member of the Government of India Scholarships Committee for dance and also an examiner in the subject on the panel of different universities in India.
Her contribution to Bharatanatyam as a guru was recognized by the Sangeet Natak Akademi with an award in 1984.
Sarada had helped Rukmini Devi from the very first dance-drama produced by her, namely Kutrala Kuravanji. Later she edited the material for all of Kalakshetra's dance-dramas along with Venkatachala Sastry and Adi Narayana Sarma of the Besant Culture Centre.
Stalwarts like Tiger Varadachariar, Veena Krishnamachariar, Papanasam Sivan and others composed music for the various dance-dramas.
Among her numerous scholarly achievements is her assistance to Tiger Varadachariar when he was composing music for Kumarasambhavam, Papanasam Sivan for Andal Charitram, Kannappar Kuravanji, Gita Govindam, Sakuntalam, Matsya Avataram and Kurma Avataram. She also worked with Balu Bhagavatar of Melattur and with Kalyaniammal and corrected and edited Dhruva Charitra, Usha Parinayam and Rukmini Kalyanam and made it suitable for presentation by Rukmini Devi.
She helped edit and proof-read music publications of Papanasam Sivan, Veena Krishnamachariar and others. She also helped edit the musical works of Neelakanta Sivan, the Keertana Malai of Papanasam Sivan and Gana Manjari, the works of Veena Krishnamachariar, all of which have been published by Kalakshetra. She helped edit the three volumes of the Sangeeta Ratnakara and the Mela Ragamalika, both in Sanskrit, published by the Adyar Library and Research Centre.
Sarada wrote, too, the biography of Rukmini Devi cited earlier, published by the Kala Mandir Trust.
Her association with Kalakshetra gave Sarada a visa to travel abroad. She attended, as an invited delegate, the conference on traditional dance-dramas of South East Asia in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, when she presented a paper on South Indian Dance Dramas from Ancient to Modern Times, and she visited Europe and the United States, and gave talks on the spiritual background of Indian dance, Indian culture, Indian music, etc.
For all her closeness to Rukmini Devi, Sarada aligned herself with S Guhan and S Lakshmanan, members of the Executive Committee of Kalakshetra, who demanded greater accountability from the management of the institution than they could obtain from it. Guhan, Lakshmanan and Sarada together filed a suit in the High Court of Madras which, in the event, found for them. Rukmini Devi passed away shortly afterwards. Interestingly, this passage-at-arms did not seem in any way to diminish Sarada's admiration for Rukmini Devi as an artist.
In retirement, Sarada gave practical Bharatanatyam classes for those completing their post-graduate studies. She was also an honorary worker at the Adyar Library.
It is wrong, Sarada says, to say that Kalakshetra dance-dramas avoided sringara, packed, as they are with nayika-nayaka bhava, but they are not 'vulgar.' On a trip to Mysore, when she saw Krishna depicted as a lusty lover, she was so shocked that she wanted to throw up. Fortunately, she added humorously, she had cloves and cardamoms in her bag and quietly chewed on them.
Students of Kalakshetra who were taught by Sarada also include Yamini Krishnamurthi, V P Dhananjayan, Sarada Hoffman, Anjali Mehr, C V Chandrasekhar, Shanta Dhananjayan, Adyar Lakshman, Krishnaveni Lakshmanan and Leela Samson. When she completed 80 years of age, she was honoured by Bharata Kalanjali and the Kalakshetra Graduates Association at a function held at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Madras. The warm tributes paid to her showed that she is held both in high esteem and affectionate regard. She is in the winter of her life but she must have felt only contentment.
G Sundari was a member of Kalakshetra's Executive Committee for a number of years and also assistant editor of the Kalakshetra Quarterly. She used to handle public relations. Sundari retired in 1989 and continues to do publicity for the Theosophical Society. Sundari is Sarada's companion and friend for many years and has been taking care of her till date.
Guru Ammannur Madhava Chakyar
May 13, 1917 – July 1, 2008
"One never stops learning and one practises all one's life." - Guru Ammannur Madhava Chakyar
Guru Ammannur Madhava Chakyar can easily be described as one of the greatest Kutiyattam performers of the last century. Kutiyattam used to be earlier confined to the precincts of temples, but sustained efforts by the all time greats considered as the trinity of Kutiyattam of this century - Painkulam Damodara Chakyar, Mani Madhava Chakyar and Ammannur Madhava Chakyar - were instrumental in popularizing this centuries old Sanskrit theatre and getting it recognized by UNESCO. In 2001, it was Guru Ammannur Madhava Chakyar who was selected to receive the UNESCO citation proclaiming Kutiya
ttam as a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.”
Ammannur Madhava Chakyar was born into the Ammannnur Chakyar family to Sreedevi Illodamma and Vellarapilli Madassi Manakkal Parameswaran Nambutiri on May 13, 1917. He passed away on July 1, 2008 around 9.15pm at his residence, aged 92. His wife Parukkutty Illodamma survives him.
His funeral was attended by art-lovers, fans, friends, family and several eminent personalities from various fields. Although we all who were close to him feel a great sense of loss and abandonment, it is also a time to celebrate the fullness of his life spiritually and on every level from beginning to end.
Training, Gurus and first performances Ammannur Madhava Chakyar was initiated into Kutiyattam at the age of 7 and trained rigorously under his two uncles Ammannur Chachu Chakyar and Ammannur Valiya Madhava Chakyar.
His arangettam (debut performance) was at the age of 11 at the Bhagavathi temple at Thirumandham Kunnu performing the role of Sutradhara in 'Balacharitam.'
At the age of 14, he gave his first performance at the Vadakkumnathan Temple in Trichur performing as Sree Rama in 'Balivadham.'
At the age of 16, He had his debut in Prabandha Koothu with the ritual Kuduma vakkal at the Putiya Trikkovil, Chendamangalam.
After completing his basic training in the traditional style under his masters, Ammannur Madhava Chakyar went for higher training in Abhinaya and Natya Shastra under Bhagavathar Kunjunni Thampuran at the acting laboratory at the Kodungallor Royal family.
He also studied Sanskrit language under Kochikavu Tampuratty and Manthitta Nambuthiri.
Repertoire highlights (character role and plays) Bali – Balivadham Ravana – Thoranayudham, Asokavanikankam, Hanumaddutam, Jatayuvadham Suta, Jatayu – Jatayuvadham Surpanakha – Surpanakhangam Hanuman – Thoranayudham, Ankuliyankam Dhananjayan – Subhadra Dhananjayam Bhima, Vidyadhara – Kalyanasaugandhikam Kapali – Mattavilasam Vidushaka - Subhadra Dhananjayam, Tapatisamvaranam Naganandam and all important Prabandha-s in Koothu
The complete text of 'Asokavanikankam,' performed at Irinjalakuda 25 years ago, was fully documented and is now a prized treasure in the archives of Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi.
Attaprakaram-s – acting manuals written for performance (unpublished) - It is his signal contribution that he made available the 'Attaprakaram - Kramadeepika' for three important acts of 'Acharyachoodamani,' namely Parnshalankam, Mayasitankam, Ezhamankam - Abhisheka Natakam - Hanumaddutam, Samudrataranam - Kalyanasaugandhikam - Subhadra Dhananjayam – Act 2 - Nangiar Koothu – Sree Krishna Charitam (revised version)
Positions held Ammannur Chachu Chakyar Smaraka Gurukulam is the training and performing centre for Kutiyattam. It is attached to Ammannur Chakyar family whose members have been the hereditary practitioners and custodians of the art of Kutiyattam. He was the lifelong Kulapati at the Gurukulam which he co-founded with G Venu.
Chief Resource person – life long at Natanakairali – Research and Performing Centre for Traditional Arts, Irinjalakuda
Visiting Guru at Margi Kutiyattam Vidyalayam, Tiruvananthapuram (1981-88). He was the first Guru at Margi Kutiyattam centre.
Visiting Professor, Kerala Kalamandalam, Cheruthuruthy (1981-82)
Performance tours abroad France (1982, 86, 2001) England (1982, 87) The Netherlands (1987) Switzerland (1987) Japan (1988)
Disciples A dedicated performer and a perfectionist teacher, Ammannur Madhava Chakyar was instrumental in rearing a new generation of Kutiyattam artists and honing the skills of some of the best talents in the art today. Some of his disciples who are now well-established performing artists are: Moozhikulam Kochukuttan Chakyar, Ammannur Kuttam Chakyar, G Venu, Usha Nangiar, Margi Madhu, Ammannur Rajaneesh Chakyar, Sooraj Nambiar, Pothiyil Renjith Chakyar, Kapila Nagavallikkunnel, Aparna Nangiar, Saritha T R, Margi Raman, Margi Sajeev Narayanan, Potiyil Narayanan, Nirmala Paniker, Tomoe Tara Irino, Rathy Nangiar
Honours / Awards 'Nrutha Natya Puraskaram' from Kerala State - 2007 'Padma Bhushan' from Government of India – 2002 P S John Endowment Award from Ernakulam Press Club – 2002 Degree of Doctor of Letters from Kannur University – 2002 Citation of UNESCO recognising Kutiyattam – 2001 'Pattum Valayum' from Keli and Prithvi Theatre, Mumbai – 1998 ‘Peelithirumudi Award’ from Guruvayur temple – 1997 Fellowship from Sangeet Natak Akademi – 1996 'Veera Sringhala' from The International Centre for Kutiyattam, Thripunithura – 1994 'Sree Guruvayoorappan Samman' from Guruvayur Temple – 1992 'Kalidas Samman' from Govt. of Madhya Pradesh – 1992 Fellowship from Kerala Kalamandalam – 1988 'Natya Kala Nidhi' title from Cochin Devaswam Board – 1987 'Padma Shri' from Govt. of India – 1982 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award - 1979
'Into The World of Kutiyattam with the Legendary Ammannur Madhava Chakyar – Memoirs' by G Venu, has been published by Natanakairali - Research and Performing Centre for Traditional Arts.
M R Rajan's documentary film 'Pakarnnatam' on guru Ammannur Madhava Chakyar won the Best Documentary Award from Kerala State and National Film Awards for 1996.
May 13, 1917 – July 1, 2008
"One never stops learning and one practises all one's life." - Guru Ammannur Madhava Chakyar
Guru Ammannur Madhava Chakyar can easily be described as one of the greatest Kutiyattam performers of the last century. Kutiyattam used to be earlier confined to the precincts of temples, but sustained efforts by the all time greats considered as the trinity of Kutiyattam of this century - Painkulam Damodara Chakyar, Mani Madhava Chakyar and Ammannur Madhava Chakyar - were instrumental in popularizing this centuries old Sanskrit theatre and getting it recognized by UNESCO. In 2001, it was Guru Ammannur Madhava Chakyar who was selected to receive the UNESCO citation proclaiming Kutiya
ttam as a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.”Ammannur Madhava Chakyar was born into the Ammannnur Chakyar family to Sreedevi Illodamma and Vellarapilli Madassi Manakkal Parameswaran Nambutiri on May 13, 1917. He passed away on July 1, 2008 around 9.15pm at his residence, aged 92. His wife Parukkutty Illodamma survives him.
His funeral was attended by art-lovers, fans, friends, family and several eminent personalities from various fields. Although we all who were close to him feel a great sense of loss and abandonment, it is also a time to celebrate the fullness of his life spiritually and on every level from beginning to end.
Training, Gurus and first performances Ammannur Madhava Chakyar was initiated into Kutiyattam at the age of 7 and trained rigorously under his two uncles Ammannur Chachu Chakyar and Ammannur Valiya Madhava Chakyar.
His arangettam (debut performance) was at the age of 11 at the Bhagavathi temple at Thirumandham Kunnu performing the role of Sutradhara in 'Balacharitam.'
At the age of 14, he gave his first performance at the Vadakkumnathan Temple in Trichur performing as Sree Rama in 'Balivadham.'
At the age of 16, He had his debut in Prabandha Koothu with the ritual Kuduma vakkal at the Putiya Trikkovil, Chendamangalam.
After completing his basic training in the traditional style under his masters, Ammannur Madhava Chakyar went for higher training in Abhinaya and Natya Shastra under Bhagavathar Kunjunni Thampuran at the acting laboratory at the Kodungallor Royal family.
He also studied Sanskrit language under Kochikavu Tampuratty and Manthitta Nambuthiri.
Repertoire highlights (character role and plays) Bali – Balivadham Ravana – Thoranayudham, Asokavanikankam, Hanumaddutam, Jatayuvadham Suta, Jatayu – Jatayuvadham Surpanakha – Surpanakhangam Hanuman – Thoranayudham, Ankuliyankam Dhananjayan – Subhadra Dhananjayam Bhima, Vidyadhara – Kalyanasaugandhikam Kapali – Mattavilasam Vidushaka - Subhadra Dhananjayam, Tapatisamvaranam Naganandam and all important Prabandha-s in Koothu
The complete text of 'Asokavanikankam,' performed at Irinjalakuda 25 years ago, was fully documented and is now a prized treasure in the archives of Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi.
Attaprakaram-s – acting manuals written for performance (unpublished) - It is his signal contribution that he made available the 'Attaprakaram - Kramadeepika' for three important acts of 'Acharyachoodamani,' namely Parnshalankam, Mayasitankam, Ezhamankam - Abhisheka Natakam - Hanumaddutam, Samudrataranam - Kalyanasaugandhikam - Subhadra Dhananjayam – Act 2 - Nangiar Koothu – Sree Krishna Charitam (revised version)
Positions held Ammannur Chachu Chakyar Smaraka Gurukulam is the training and performing centre for Kutiyattam. It is attached to Ammannur Chakyar family whose members have been the hereditary practitioners and custodians of the art of Kutiyattam. He was the lifelong Kulapati at the Gurukulam which he co-founded with G Venu.
Chief Resource person – life long at Natanakairali – Research and Performing Centre for Traditional Arts, Irinjalakuda
Visiting Guru at Margi Kutiyattam Vidyalayam, Tiruvananthapuram (1981-88). He was the first Guru at Margi Kutiyattam centre.
Visiting Professor, Kerala Kalamandalam, Cheruthuruthy (1981-82)
Performance tours abroad France (1982, 86, 2001) England (1982, 87) The Netherlands (1987) Switzerland (1987) Japan (1988)
Disciples A dedicated performer and a perfectionist teacher, Ammannur Madhava Chakyar was instrumental in rearing a new generation of Kutiyattam artists and honing the skills of some of the best talents in the art today. Some of his disciples who are now well-established performing artists are: Moozhikulam Kochukuttan Chakyar, Ammannur Kuttam Chakyar, G Venu, Usha Nangiar, Margi Madhu, Ammannur Rajaneesh Chakyar, Sooraj Nambiar, Pothiyil Renjith Chakyar, Kapila Nagavallikkunnel, Aparna Nangiar, Saritha T R, Margi Raman, Margi Sajeev Narayanan, Potiyil Narayanan, Nirmala Paniker, Tomoe Tara Irino, Rathy Nangiar
Honours / Awards 'Nrutha Natya Puraskaram' from Kerala State - 2007 'Padma Bhushan' from Government of India – 2002 P S John Endowment Award from Ernakulam Press Club – 2002 Degree of Doctor of Letters from Kannur University – 2002 Citation of UNESCO recognising Kutiyattam – 2001 'Pattum Valayum' from Keli and Prithvi Theatre, Mumbai – 1998 ‘Peelithirumudi Award’ from Guruvayur temple – 1997 Fellowship from Sangeet Natak Akademi – 1996 'Veera Sringhala' from The International Centre for Kutiyattam, Thripunithura – 1994 'Sree Guruvayoorappan Samman' from Guruvayur Temple – 1992 'Kalidas Samman' from Govt. of Madhya Pradesh – 1992 Fellowship from Kerala Kalamandalam – 1988 'Natya Kala Nidhi' title from Cochin Devaswam Board – 1987 'Padma Shri' from Govt. of India – 1982 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award - 1979
'Into The World of Kutiyattam with the Legendary Ammannur Madhava Chakyar – Memoirs' by G Venu, has been published by Natanakairali - Research and Performing Centre for Traditional Arts.
M R Rajan's documentary film 'Pakarnnatam' on guru Ammannur Madhava Chakyar won the Best Documentary Award from Kerala State and National Film Awards for 1996.
The future of Bharatanatyam: A rasika's view
An Article By : Aneal Krishnamurthy, VA
A writer contemplating the future of Bharatanatyam less than a century ago would never have anticipated the revolution about to take place over the coming decades. In the same way, it is quite certain that Bharatanatyam a century from now is going to look different from what we know today.
The following article is a compilation of some of my observations as a rasika, and not a dancer, of several trends that I see in the Bharatanatyam world. My hope is that the comments and questions in the article will engender discussion and debate by those more knowledgeable than me in these matters. In my view, Bharatanatyam does indeed have a strong future but is currently undergoing certain changes that could have a profound impact on the art form. This article aims to discuss certain trends that I have observed over the past few years and attempts to raise some important questions for dancers and scholars in this field.
Trends in Bharatanatyam technique: Bharatanatyam is slowly but surely moving towards more athleticism. Although no one can doubt the strength and endurance required for dancers to competently perform a whole margam, there seems to be a marked emphasis on athleticism by some dancers on stage. The athleticism almost borders on acrobatics and gymnastics. This type of dancing seems to have a certain appeal to audiences and I wonder if more dancers will follow in this path.
Another related point is the growing emphasis by some dancers on nrtta to the detriment of abhinaya. It is commonplace for jathis to last for several minutes tiring both the dancer and the audience. The pace is often fast and furious. Sometimes this pace sacrifices the crisp completion of each adavu. Is this desire for speed being driven by the audience? Are dancers worried that without some spectacular footwork fireworks, the audience will not stay interested? With regard to padams and other abhinaya-oriented pieces, are dancers worried that they will not be able to sustain the audience’s attention with a slow-paced piece solely focused on mime?
Another issue is the apparent loss of importance of the Araimandi stance. It is very rare to see dancers with proper Araimandi. If it is acceptable today for a dancer to have just a slight outward turning of the knees and sitting a few inches lower than his or her height, why even call it a half-sitting position? Review after review will note in a sentence (usually towards the end of the review) that the dancer’s Araimandi stance is missing or not consistent. What is surprising to me is the minimal impact that the lack of Araimandi has on the overall critique of the dancer. I have observed that dancers are routinely praised for their technique even though there is no Araimandi. Perhaps lack of Araimandi is a result of dancers increasing the speed of their nrtta. Is this only one isolated component of Bharatanatyam that is slowly being lost or are there other components that are suffering a similar fate?
Trends in Bharatanatyam performance content: A highly visible development over the past few years is the move towards more thematic programs. Within thematic shows, particularly abroad, there is a movement to make Bharatanatyam relevant to non-Indian audiences. Modern social issues are often the themes chosen. Is the traditional margam no longer enough to sustain the attention of the modern audience? Are dancers making efforts to educate rasikas on the complexities of a margam?
What do dancers think about the future of the margam format? Although this has been the traditional performance structure for several centuries, do dancers find the traditional items limiting in scope? Do dancers feel that, through a margam, they cannot fully express their thoughts? Already, the Shabdham has more or less made its exit from the margam. What is next? Javalis? As many Bharatanatyam performers are young (especially at the amateur level), how can they be expected to exhibit the maturity required for performing these more intense items? It is interesting to see the relatively recent incorporation of the Pushpanjali into many margams. It is quite possible that other items from a margam will be added or deleted as the years go by. Another trend is the broadening of the music used for Bharatanatyam. Traditional Carnatic music is being supplemented with compositions in other Indian languages. Just as the language of Bharatanatyam music shifted from being predominantly Telugu to encompass Tamil and Kannada compositions over time, it is not beyond the realm of imagination to think of a day where compositions in a non-Indian language like English could become acceptable. Western classical and contemporary music is also being experimented with by some dancers. Obviously, over time and with enough dancers moving in this direction, the music of Bharatanatyam will not stay static.
Fusion of dance styles and music is all the rage in some circles. Can a Bharatanatyam dancer performing choreography interwoven with different dance styles remain uninfluenced by the other styles?
Although group performances are not a new concept, there seems to be a feeling among some that the more Bharatanatyam dancers there are on stage, the better the show. Perhaps it is an economic issue as well. The more dancers you have on stage, the more friends and family that may attend which will result in increased ticket sales. As there are more and more group performances, will there be any negative impact on the scope for a solo artist?
Trends in Bharatanatyam teaching and learning: Bharatanatyam seems to be developing in two parallel tracks – the professional and the amateur. The vast majority of dancers treat the art form as one of their extra curricular activities, not as a profession. The dancer’s arangetram is seen by many as the culmination of training rather than the traditional ascension of the stage and the start of the dance career.
Particularly among Indians settled abroad, Bharatanatyam is viewed as an important tool in teaching Indian culture and values to children being raised away from the cultural influences that shaped their parents.
There appears to be a noticeable trend away from the mastery of the fundamentals. Children who are often not ready for the stage are decked out in beautiful costumes and jewelry for the visual consumption of their families and friends. Praise is lavished a little too freely and the epidemic of standing ovations for mediocrity is spreading. Is it any wonder that audience sizes are dwindling?
It is also very interesting to observe the generational shift among Bharatanatyam dance teachers. The great gurus of the 20th century were themselves taught by great nattuvanars who were keepers of the Devadasi tradition. The gurus of the 21st century will be composed of dancers a generation or two removed from the great gurus. In the modern age, the strict gurukula pattern of learning dance is almost extinct. As the decades pass by, it is not unreasonable to expect that what is being taught is going to change. As an extreme anecdotal example, a teacher, herself trained rigorously by a great guru, teaches only a set of Thattadavus and Nattadavus as the foundation before moving on to teaching items. I fear that this type of teaching is not just an isolated event but is something that is spreading. It is alarming to think that a student receiving this kind of training may someday go on to become a Bharatanatyam teacher.
Trends in societal acceptance: It seems to me that some of the primary obstacles for choosing Bharatanatyam (or any art form generally) as a profession are societal and the monetary costs associated with being a performer. It is quite rare to see Bharatanatyam dancers who do not have another profession to rely on it for their livelihood. It is even more rare to see dancers with parents who encourage their children to pursue Bharatanatyam over academics. Bharatanatyam is encouraged by many families so long as it does not ultimately interfere with other more “professional” ambitions. Even if a dancer is encouraged by her parents, when she gets married, she has to hope that her husband and in-laws are supportive of her choice.
Perhaps, her new family will only be accepting of her teaching dance and discourage a professional dance career. The path becomes even more difficult if a dancer becomes a mother. As with any profession, juggling motherhood and professional aspirations is no easy task. A serious pursuit of Bharatanatyam requires a lot of time practicing, rehearsing, choreographing, performing and traveling. For a young mother, time away from her child can be very difficult emotionally and cause feelings of guilt. As she gets older, can she maintain her beauty and graceful figure? If she succumbs to the aging process, can she develop a thick skin to not get affected by comments that she is too old or too fat? Young men equally have difficult challenges ahead of them if they choose to pursue Bharatanatyam as a profession. Men are generally not encouraged to follow careers in dance and face many uphill battles with society to gain the recognition that they seek. The very small number of men pursuing Bharatanatyam either as amateurs or professionals is testament to the difficulty of getting more male involvement in the art form.
Trend in expenses: Even if societal obstacles can be overcome, another development is the exponential increase in the cost of performing. Factoring in the cost of a live orchestra, costumes, jewelry, traveling etc., Bharatanatyam is a pricy profession. It is also very likely a self-financed profession. With so many dancers vying for attention, most sabhas feel no pressure to compensate the artists. It really is a business and those dancers that can draw ticket-paying audiences can reap some reward. The lucky few who perform abroad on tours on a regular basis have the chance to supplement their income. The rest have to rely on income earned from other professions or their families to fund their Bharatanatyam careers.
Another trend is a vast increase in the number of performances and a corresponding dwindling of the audiences. With the exception of certain of the established veterans, do most Bharatanatyam dancers have an established fan base? Not just family and friends who attend a program but rasikas who are excited to see the dancer perform? Are most dancers prepared for the years of toil that it may take to gain the support of rasikas?
With so many competing societal influences, I wonder if enough is being done to educate the young of today to grow into the rasikas of tomorrow. After all, it is the young who will financially sustain the art in the future.
Parting thoughts: I hope that by laying out some of my own personal observations of trends that I see in Bharatanatyam and raising many questions, this article will get people talking about the future of Bharatanatyam. At this point in time, Bharatanatyam at the amateur level is exploding in popularity. Bharatanatyam at the professional level, however, is a big question mark. With so many obstacles to overcome, will talented dancers have the perseverance and resources to achieve their goals? Finally, upon achieving these goals, will they be greeted by an auditorium full of adoring fans or by a vast sea of empty seats?
As a rasika, I believe that if Bharatanatyam (either at the amateur or professional level) is to continue to flourish, dancers must present the best. There are far too many mediocre programs these days, and when we in the audience see performers whose technique hasn’t been perfected and whose expressions are lifeless, our desire to support this beautiful art form will surely fade.
This article was written for the "article writing challenge" organized by the Ranga Mandira Trust and won the first prize after being chosen by a panel of judges. The article was published in the Sruti magazine - Issue 280- January 2008.
An Article By : Aneal Krishnamurthy, VA
A writer contemplating the future of Bharatanatyam less than a century ago would never have anticipated the revolution about to take place over the coming decades. In the same way, it is quite certain that Bharatanatyam a century from now is going to look different from what we know today.
The following article is a compilation of some of my observations as a rasika, and not a dancer, of several trends that I see in the Bharatanatyam world. My hope is that the comments and questions in the article will engender discussion and debate by those more knowledgeable than me in these matters. In my view, Bharatanatyam does indeed have a strong future but is currently undergoing certain changes that could have a profound impact on the art form. This article aims to discuss certain trends that I have observed over the past few years and attempts to raise some important questions for dancers and scholars in this field.
Trends in Bharatanatyam technique: Bharatanatyam is slowly but surely moving towards more athleticism. Although no one can doubt the strength and endurance required for dancers to competently perform a whole margam, there seems to be a marked emphasis on athleticism by some dancers on stage. The athleticism almost borders on acrobatics and gymnastics. This type of dancing seems to have a certain appeal to audiences and I wonder if more dancers will follow in this path.
Another related point is the growing emphasis by some dancers on nrtta to the detriment of abhinaya. It is commonplace for jathis to last for several minutes tiring both the dancer and the audience. The pace is often fast and furious. Sometimes this pace sacrifices the crisp completion of each adavu. Is this desire for speed being driven by the audience? Are dancers worried that without some spectacular footwork fireworks, the audience will not stay interested? With regard to padams and other abhinaya-oriented pieces, are dancers worried that they will not be able to sustain the audience’s attention with a slow-paced piece solely focused on mime?
Another issue is the apparent loss of importance of the Araimandi stance. It is very rare to see dancers with proper Araimandi. If it is acceptable today for a dancer to have just a slight outward turning of the knees and sitting a few inches lower than his or her height, why even call it a half-sitting position? Review after review will note in a sentence (usually towards the end of the review) that the dancer’s Araimandi stance is missing or not consistent. What is surprising to me is the minimal impact that the lack of Araimandi has on the overall critique of the dancer. I have observed that dancers are routinely praised for their technique even though there is no Araimandi. Perhaps lack of Araimandi is a result of dancers increasing the speed of their nrtta. Is this only one isolated component of Bharatanatyam that is slowly being lost or are there other components that are suffering a similar fate?
Trends in Bharatanatyam performance content: A highly visible development over the past few years is the move towards more thematic programs. Within thematic shows, particularly abroad, there is a movement to make Bharatanatyam relevant to non-Indian audiences. Modern social issues are often the themes chosen. Is the traditional margam no longer enough to sustain the attention of the modern audience? Are dancers making efforts to educate rasikas on the complexities of a margam?
What do dancers think about the future of the margam format? Although this has been the traditional performance structure for several centuries, do dancers find the traditional items limiting in scope? Do dancers feel that, through a margam, they cannot fully express their thoughts? Already, the Shabdham has more or less made its exit from the margam. What is next? Javalis? As many Bharatanatyam performers are young (especially at the amateur level), how can they be expected to exhibit the maturity required for performing these more intense items? It is interesting to see the relatively recent incorporation of the Pushpanjali into many margams. It is quite possible that other items from a margam will be added or deleted as the years go by. Another trend is the broadening of the music used for Bharatanatyam. Traditional Carnatic music is being supplemented with compositions in other Indian languages. Just as the language of Bharatanatyam music shifted from being predominantly Telugu to encompass Tamil and Kannada compositions over time, it is not beyond the realm of imagination to think of a day where compositions in a non-Indian language like English could become acceptable. Western classical and contemporary music is also being experimented with by some dancers. Obviously, over time and with enough dancers moving in this direction, the music of Bharatanatyam will not stay static.
Fusion of dance styles and music is all the rage in some circles. Can a Bharatanatyam dancer performing choreography interwoven with different dance styles remain uninfluenced by the other styles?
Although group performances are not a new concept, there seems to be a feeling among some that the more Bharatanatyam dancers there are on stage, the better the show. Perhaps it is an economic issue as well. The more dancers you have on stage, the more friends and family that may attend which will result in increased ticket sales. As there are more and more group performances, will there be any negative impact on the scope for a solo artist?
Trends in Bharatanatyam teaching and learning: Bharatanatyam seems to be developing in two parallel tracks – the professional and the amateur. The vast majority of dancers treat the art form as one of their extra curricular activities, not as a profession. The dancer’s arangetram is seen by many as the culmination of training rather than the traditional ascension of the stage and the start of the dance career.
Particularly among Indians settled abroad, Bharatanatyam is viewed as an important tool in teaching Indian culture and values to children being raised away from the cultural influences that shaped their parents.
There appears to be a noticeable trend away from the mastery of the fundamentals. Children who are often not ready for the stage are decked out in beautiful costumes and jewelry for the visual consumption of their families and friends. Praise is lavished a little too freely and the epidemic of standing ovations for mediocrity is spreading. Is it any wonder that audience sizes are dwindling?
It is also very interesting to observe the generational shift among Bharatanatyam dance teachers. The great gurus of the 20th century were themselves taught by great nattuvanars who were keepers of the Devadasi tradition. The gurus of the 21st century will be composed of dancers a generation or two removed from the great gurus. In the modern age, the strict gurukula pattern of learning dance is almost extinct. As the decades pass by, it is not unreasonable to expect that what is being taught is going to change. As an extreme anecdotal example, a teacher, herself trained rigorously by a great guru, teaches only a set of Thattadavus and Nattadavus as the foundation before moving on to teaching items. I fear that this type of teaching is not just an isolated event but is something that is spreading. It is alarming to think that a student receiving this kind of training may someday go on to become a Bharatanatyam teacher.
Trends in societal acceptance: It seems to me that some of the primary obstacles for choosing Bharatanatyam (or any art form generally) as a profession are societal and the monetary costs associated with being a performer. It is quite rare to see Bharatanatyam dancers who do not have another profession to rely on it for their livelihood. It is even more rare to see dancers with parents who encourage their children to pursue Bharatanatyam over academics. Bharatanatyam is encouraged by many families so long as it does not ultimately interfere with other more “professional” ambitions. Even if a dancer is encouraged by her parents, when she gets married, she has to hope that her husband and in-laws are supportive of her choice.
Perhaps, her new family will only be accepting of her teaching dance and discourage a professional dance career. The path becomes even more difficult if a dancer becomes a mother. As with any profession, juggling motherhood and professional aspirations is no easy task. A serious pursuit of Bharatanatyam requires a lot of time practicing, rehearsing, choreographing, performing and traveling. For a young mother, time away from her child can be very difficult emotionally and cause feelings of guilt. As she gets older, can she maintain her beauty and graceful figure? If she succumbs to the aging process, can she develop a thick skin to not get affected by comments that she is too old or too fat? Young men equally have difficult challenges ahead of them if they choose to pursue Bharatanatyam as a profession. Men are generally not encouraged to follow careers in dance and face many uphill battles with society to gain the recognition that they seek. The very small number of men pursuing Bharatanatyam either as amateurs or professionals is testament to the difficulty of getting more male involvement in the art form.
Trend in expenses: Even if societal obstacles can be overcome, another development is the exponential increase in the cost of performing. Factoring in the cost of a live orchestra, costumes, jewelry, traveling etc., Bharatanatyam is a pricy profession. It is also very likely a self-financed profession. With so many dancers vying for attention, most sabhas feel no pressure to compensate the artists. It really is a business and those dancers that can draw ticket-paying audiences can reap some reward. The lucky few who perform abroad on tours on a regular basis have the chance to supplement their income. The rest have to rely on income earned from other professions or their families to fund their Bharatanatyam careers.
Another trend is a vast increase in the number of performances and a corresponding dwindling of the audiences. With the exception of certain of the established veterans, do most Bharatanatyam dancers have an established fan base? Not just family and friends who attend a program but rasikas who are excited to see the dancer perform? Are most dancers prepared for the years of toil that it may take to gain the support of rasikas?
With so many competing societal influences, I wonder if enough is being done to educate the young of today to grow into the rasikas of tomorrow. After all, it is the young who will financially sustain the art in the future.
Parting thoughts: I hope that by laying out some of my own personal observations of trends that I see in Bharatanatyam and raising many questions, this article will get people talking about the future of Bharatanatyam. At this point in time, Bharatanatyam at the amateur level is exploding in popularity. Bharatanatyam at the professional level, however, is a big question mark. With so many obstacles to overcome, will talented dancers have the perseverance and resources to achieve their goals? Finally, upon achieving these goals, will they be greeted by an auditorium full of adoring fans or by a vast sea of empty seats?
As a rasika, I believe that if Bharatanatyam (either at the amateur or professional level) is to continue to flourish, dancers must present the best. There are far too many mediocre programs these days, and when we in the audience see performers whose technique hasn’t been perfected and whose expressions are lifeless, our desire to support this beautiful art form will surely fade.
This article was written for the "article writing challenge" organized by the Ranga Mandira Trust and won the first prize after being chosen by a panel of judges. The article was published in the Sruti magazine - Issue 280- January 2008.
Guru Dr.Vempati Chinna Satyam
Dr.Vempati Chinna Satyam Born in a traditional family of dancers in the village, Kuchipudi, Andhra Pradesh, dance was intermingled in Vempati's blood and veins. Vedantam Lakshmi Narayana Sastry, a great master in the field, initiated Young Vempati into this great art. As he learnt the nuances of this style of dance, Vempati was avid to see this great heritage permeate all over the world.
With this burning desire he left his native village at the age of 18. Due to financial constraints he walked all the way to Madras, now Chennai, the cultural Mecca of all fine arts. He underwent vigorous training under his cousin, Vempati Pedda Satyam who was a well-established dance director in the film world. He also spent a year under various teachers, extending his knowledge of various styles.
The glitter and glamour of the tinsel world failed to impress him. With the desire to spread Kuchipudi, burning within, Vempati started teaching and started his Kuchipudi Art Academy at Madras in 1963.The Academy has to its credit more than 180 Solo items and 15 dance dramas composed and choreographed by Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam. These solo items and dramas have been staged all over India and abroad. He composed his first dance drama Sri Krishna Parijatham in the same period followed by another hit Ksheera Sagara Madanam and played the lead role. His portrayal of Lord Shiva and his brilliant choreography was received with thunderous applause. With his very first attempt passing in flying colors, his long cherished desire, to establish Kuchipudi among the prominent classical styles, got a shot in the arm.
Vempati's charismatic choreography and scintillating style were witnessed and applauded in
almost all parts of the world. He sublimated and systematized Kuchipudi without sacrificing its pristine purity and gave it a more classical and sophisticated look. He refined and redefined Kuchipudi bringing it completely within the boundaries of Natya Sastra and gave it a wholly new perspective. Vempati worked on and produced many more marvels like Padmavati Srinivasa Kalyanam, Vipranarayana Cheritam, Menaka Viswamitra, Sakuntalam, Bama Kalapam, Chandalika, Rukmini Kalyanam, Hara Vilasam, Siva Dhanurbhangam (the first part of the oldest epic Ramayana) and Ardha Nareeswara. He also composed Kumara Sambhavam, Padmavathi Tirumanam and Sri Krishna Parijatam in Tamil.
More…..
Vempati Chinna Satyam is a legendary dancer and guru of Kuchipudi dance form. This exquisite art form was popularized worldwide by him. He was born on 26th October , 1929, in a traditional family of dancers, at a small village of Kuchipudi in Andhra Pradesh. He started learning this dance form at the tender age of nine. Under the guidance of three great Gurus, Vempati Chinna Satyam mastered in Kuchipudi. Initially he learnt from Sri Vedantam Lakshmi Narayana Sastry, then refined his art by learning the graceful movements from Sri Tadepally Perrayya Sastry and later was trained by his elder brother Sri Vempati Satyam in the beauty of expressions.
When Vempati Chinna Satyam mastered in the art of Kuchipudi, he moved to Madras with the objective of making it popular all over the world. His devotion and dedication towards Kuchipudi finally resulted in the establishment of Kuchipudi Art Academy in Madras on 6th February, 1963. Till date he has taught over thousand students the intricate styles and techniques of Kuchipudi dance. He founded another school of dance in Vizag called Kuchipudi Kalakshetra in 1985.
Very soon Vempati Chinna Satyam was a star shining brightly in the sky of international fame. He was conferred with many titles and awards such as "Sangeet Peeth of Bombay", "Asthana Natyacharya of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam",''T.T.K. Memorial Award'' by Music Academy, "Natya Kalasaagara of Waltair", "Raja Lakshmi Award of Madras", "Kalaprapoorna" from Andhra University, "Natya Kala Bhushana of Guntur", "Bharatha Kalaprapoorna of Hyderabad", D. Litt. from Sri Venkateswara University, "Asthana Natyacharya of Pittsburg", and "National Award from Central Sangeet Naatak Akademi, New Delhi". He was awarded by many State Governments of India such as Kalidas Puraskar by the Government of Madhya Pradesh and Kalaimamani by the Government of Tamil Nadu. He was honored with a Doctorate degree by Andhra University. Vempati Chinna Satyam is famous not only in India but also in abroad. In 1984, he was presented a Golden Key by the Mayor of Miami. 25th September, 1994, was announced as Vempati Chinna Satyam Day by the Mayor of Dayton, Ohio; 27th April, 1984 was declared as Classical Indian Kuchipudi Ballet Dance Drama day by the Mayor of Gahanna, Ohio; 3rd November 1994 as Kuchipudi Dance Drama Day by the The Mayor of Atlanta and September 24, 1994 as Ramayanam Day by the Mayor of Memphis and he was also awarded a key of the city.
Vempati Chinna Satyam produced nearly fifteen dance ballets including Padmavati Srinivasa Kalyanam, Vipranarayana Charitam, Menaka Viswamitra, Kalyana Sakuntalam, Bhama Kalapam, Chandalika, Padmavathi Sreenivasa Kalyanam, Rukmini Kalyanam, Hara Vilasam, Siva Dhanurbhangam and Ardha Nareeswaram, being the latest. Vempati Chinna Satyam sublimated Kuchipudi within the boundaries of the Natya Sastra and gave it a more classical basis.
Dr.Vempati Chinna Satyam Born in a traditional family of dancers in the village, Kuchipudi, Andhra Pradesh, dance was intermingled in Vempati's blood and veins. Vedantam Lakshmi Narayana Sastry, a great master in the field, initiated Young Vempati into this great art. As he learnt the nuances of this style of dance, Vempati was avid to see this great heritage permeate all over the world.
With this burning desire he left his native village at the age of 18. Due to financial constraints he walked all the way to Madras, now Chennai, the cultural Mecca of all fine arts. He underwent vigorous training under his cousin, Vempati Pedda Satyam who was a well-established dance director in the film world. He also spent a year under various teachers, extending his knowledge of various styles.
The glitter and glamour of the tinsel world failed to impress him. With the desire to spread Kuchipudi, burning within, Vempati started teaching and started his Kuchipudi Art Academy at Madras in 1963.The Academy has to its credit more than 180 Solo items and 15 dance dramas composed and choreographed by Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam. These solo items and dramas have been staged all over India and abroad. He composed his first dance drama Sri Krishna Parijatham in the same period followed by another hit Ksheera Sagara Madanam and played the lead role. His portrayal of Lord Shiva and his brilliant choreography was received with thunderous applause. With his very first attempt passing in flying colors, his long cherished desire, to establish Kuchipudi among the prominent classical styles, got a shot in the arm.
Vempati's charismatic choreography and scintillating style were witnessed and applauded in
almost all parts of the world. He sublimated and systematized Kuchipudi without sacrificing its pristine purity and gave it a more classical and sophisticated look. He refined and redefined Kuchipudi bringing it completely within the boundaries of Natya Sastra and gave it a wholly new perspective. Vempati worked on and produced many more marvels like Padmavati Srinivasa Kalyanam, Vipranarayana Cheritam, Menaka Viswamitra, Sakuntalam, Bama Kalapam, Chandalika, Rukmini Kalyanam, Hara Vilasam, Siva Dhanurbhangam (the first part of the oldest epic Ramayana) and Ardha Nareeswara. He also composed Kumara Sambhavam, Padmavathi Tirumanam and Sri Krishna Parijatam in Tamil.More…..
Vempati Chinna Satyam is a legendary dancer and guru of Kuchipudi dance form. This exquisite art form was popularized worldwide by him. He was born on 26th October , 1929, in a traditional family of dancers, at a small village of Kuchipudi in Andhra Pradesh. He started learning this dance form at the tender age of nine. Under the guidance of three great Gurus, Vempati Chinna Satyam mastered in Kuchipudi. Initially he learnt from Sri Vedantam Lakshmi Narayana Sastry, then refined his art by learning the graceful movements from Sri Tadepally Perrayya Sastry and later was trained by his elder brother Sri Vempati Satyam in the beauty of expressions.
When Vempati Chinna Satyam mastered in the art of Kuchipudi, he moved to Madras with the objective of making it popular all over the world. His devotion and dedication towards Kuchipudi finally resulted in the establishment of Kuchipudi Art Academy in Madras on 6th February, 1963. Till date he has taught over thousand students the intricate styles and techniques of Kuchipudi dance. He founded another school of dance in Vizag called Kuchipudi Kalakshetra in 1985.
Very soon Vempati Chinna Satyam was a star shining brightly in the sky of international fame. He was conferred with many titles and awards such as "Sangeet Peeth of Bombay", "Asthana Natyacharya of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam",''T.T.K. Memorial Award'' by Music Academy, "Natya Kalasaagara of Waltair", "Raja Lakshmi Award of Madras", "Kalaprapoorna" from Andhra University, "Natya Kala Bhushana of Guntur", "Bharatha Kalaprapoorna of Hyderabad", D. Litt. from Sri Venkateswara University, "Asthana Natyacharya of Pittsburg", and "National Award from Central Sangeet Naatak Akademi, New Delhi". He was awarded by many State Governments of India such as Kalidas Puraskar by the Government of Madhya Pradesh and Kalaimamani by the Government of Tamil Nadu. He was honored with a Doctorate degree by Andhra University. Vempati Chinna Satyam is famous not only in India but also in abroad. In 1984, he was presented a Golden Key by the Mayor of Miami. 25th September, 1994, was announced as Vempati Chinna Satyam Day by the Mayor of Dayton, Ohio; 27th April, 1984 was declared as Classical Indian Kuchipudi Ballet Dance Drama day by the Mayor of Gahanna, Ohio; 3rd November 1994 as Kuchipudi Dance Drama Day by the The Mayor of Atlanta and September 24, 1994 as Ramayanam Day by the Mayor of Memphis and he was also awarded a key of the city.
Vempati Chinna Satyam produced nearly fifteen dance ballets including Padmavati Srinivasa Kalyanam, Vipranarayana Charitam, Menaka Viswamitra, Kalyana Sakuntalam, Bhama Kalapam, Chandalika, Padmavathi Sreenivasa Kalyanam, Rukmini Kalyanam, Hara Vilasam, Siva Dhanurbhangam and Ardha Nareeswaram, being the latest. Vempati Chinna Satyam sublimated Kuchipudi within the boundaries of the Natya Sastra and gave it a more classical basis.
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