Geeta Chandran
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PAPER 6 DANCE IN INDIA TODAY, DANCE-DRAMAS, CREATIVITY WITHIN THE CLASSICAL FORMS, INDIAN CLASSICAL DANCE IN DIASPORA (USA, UK, EUROPE, AUSTRALIA, ETC.) MODULE 20 SOME CONTEMPORARY DANCERS/SCHOLARS/GURUS OF BHARATANATYAM Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam: Bharatanrityam The four decades of 1960 -1990 saw a generation of vibrant, path- breaking Bharatanatyam dancers. Padma Subrahmanyam combined scholarship in Natya Shastra with a singular dance talent. Her path- breaking work on the documentation of karanas / करण she identified on the dancing figures of the Meenakshi Temple gopuram / गोऩुरम was added creatively to her dance movements, a practical application of the fruit of her research. Padma's Bhamtanrittam became inclusive of movements not found in Bharatanatyam of the sixties. The Karana theory as mentioned in the text guided Padma's approach to her dance. Her in-depth Natya Shastra research had many students from other dance disciplines attend her classes for theoretical knowledge and erudition at her institution, Nrityodaya. Dr Subrahmanyan’s skill for conceptualizing and solo-dancing an entire ballet (such as Krishnaya Tubhyam Namah / कृ ष्णाय तुभ्यं नम्) is also a rare gift and hardly any other dancer has matched it. Yamini Krishnamurty: A Magnetic Presence It was in the 1960s that classical Bharatanatyam saw Yamini Krishnamurty, a young dancer with a magnetic presence, rising on the horizon. Yamini captured the hearts of cosmopolitan audiences, with the sheer power of her brilliance and stage presence. As a performer, if Bala with her magic stunned people into silence, Yamini made them erupt in applause. Trained initially at Kalakshetra and later under gurus like Ellappa Pillai and Gowriamma, Yamini's dance, exuding uninhibited passion and sensuality, was unusual for the post-devadasi phase. Her programmes were presided over by her father, a noted Sanskrit scholar, and he supervised her career with expertise. Her sister Jyotishmati whose melodious music accompanied the dance, was a huge strength. It was the father who spotted in the rustic yet compelling Kuchipudi presentation of guru Vedantam Raghaviah, a dance form which he realized had tremendous potential for Yamini Krishnamurty stage performances, along with Bharatanatyam. Her vibrant dance with statuesque poses and impeccable rhythmic command, responded well to Kuchipudi. Like Shanta Rao earlier, her performances comprised more than one form, starting with Bharatanatyam and followed in the second half with the inevitable Krishna Sabdam / कृ ष्ण शब्दं , scenes from Bhama Kalapam / भामा क쥍ऩम , and Tarangam / तरंगम, at times even including an item or two of Odissi for which she trained under Pankajcharan Das. It was her Kuchipudi brilliance that finally put this dance form on the pan-Indian stage. The majesty of Bharatanatyam, followed by the mercurial speed and grace of Kuchipudi, concluding with the languor of Odissi, made for riveting variety in one recital. The Veeriboni Bhairavi varnam / वीरीबोनी भैरवी वणणम , originally part of the classical singer's repertoire, was brought into Bharatanatyam by Yamini. Watching her perform the Husseni Swarajati / हुसैनी स्व셍तण ी , even Bala was spurred to words of praise. Her presentation of the Pantuvarali Varnam Chelamu Chesi moved the audience to tears. The nayika's sensuous persuasion while rendering the charanam / चरणं line in the Kamas Varnam VaVaVa en pechhd ketka va mesmerized audiences. Never a wilting heroine, no matter what the nayika's mood, there was a triumph of spirited womanhood one experienced in Yamini Krishnamurty proud bearing. Late Smt Anjali Merh: Devoted artist Smt. Anjali Merh passed away on Feb 10, 1979. Her death was sudden as it was untimely. Dance personified, an artiste par excellence, a beautiful soul, and a vibrant woman of substance, she was barely 50 years old. If classical dance has arrived and established in Gujarat pre and post independence, the credit goes to the Shrimant Sayajirao Gaekwad of Baroda as well as to the three most talented, devoted, revolutionary and missionary women, Smt Mrinalini Sarabhai, Smt Kumudini Lakhia and Smt Anjali Merh . The first two with their family backgrounds and wealth, established great dance institutes in Ahmadabad whereas the third devoted her life to serious dance education and teaching at the Maharaja Sayajirao University. She went to Kalakshetra as a young girl amongst the first few to go there and the first Gujarati. She was the foremost disciple of Smt Rukmini Devi Arundale. She imbibed the best of her guru and the institution for 7-8 years before returning back to Mumbai. She was thoroughly trained in Bharatanatyam and was well-versed in Tamil and Telugu, in Carnatic Music, literature and poetry. She joined the Faculty of Performing Arts, then known as the Music College as a guest faculty in 1955, and progressed quickly to become its Head, Department of Dance from 1962 till her death in 1979. She built the department’s strengths in teaching, research and dance performances. She created a strong foundation that continues to serve as a platform for the future generations. Anjali was a philosopher. She defied, challenged and expanded the horizons of Bharatanatyam. An extraordinary teacher, a discerning aesthete, a musician of high calibre and a sensitive poet, she revolutionized the traditional world of Bharatanatyam with several compositions in Gujarati. Her creative, dedicated, brave but very traditional approach to the art of Bharatanatyam was sensible but not enough. Though considered a traditionalist, hers was a free spirit. She saw the infinite scope of the art of Bharatanatyam. By 1970s Anjali also realized her own personal need to express the ethos of the culture that she belonged, that of Gujarat. From almost 1970 till 1979, her pride of being a Gujarati, her need to reach out to the Gujarati people and perhaps the most important, to let the world know that Gujarat and Gujaratis not only supported the art of dance but also excelled in all the aspects of it. The first original Margam in Gujarati, Shachi Paulomi / शची ऩौऱोमी, Ramayana / रामायण, Natir Puja / नाततर ऩू셍ा, Buddha Charitra / बुद्धा चररत्र, Naval Nayika / नवऱ नातयका and Asta-Nayika / अस्ट-नातयका, Radha nu Shamanu / राधा नु शमाणु and unforgettable Shree Chandramauleshwara Kuravanji are some of her outstanding compositions and choreographed ballets of that period. These are the landmarks in the history of dance. The night she died was the debut performance of her most creative, controversial production of Muthuswami Dikshitar’s Navagraha Krities / नवग्रह कृ तत. It was a landmark in abstraction. The planetary movements and configuration were brought out in choreography with vivid formations using and creating special Shollu-s, costumes, imaginative lighting and movements. Anjali wove modern and contemporary design while using traditional Bharatanatyam. If she was alive, this composition would be a point of reference for the history of modern dance in India! Anjali Merh was the first to start the Dance documentation in M S University way back in 1962, creating and using “stick” figures to draw dance items. At the University it helped not only the local students but students coming from other countries as well. She produced three doctorates under her, one of them is Dr. Sunil Kothari. Her story is the struggle of an artiste, born without a silver spoon, who defied all for the sake of her love, passion and commitment to dance. VAIJAYANTIMALA BALI: Dance and Cinema Trained under guru Vazhuvoor Ramaiyya Pillai and guru K N Dandhayudhapani Pillai, Vyjayanthimala developed into a fine dancer who performed all over the world at the most prestigious events. She also became a popular film actress and after a successful career in films and marriage, she returned to her first love – Bharatanatyam, establishing her school – Natyalaya – in Chennai. She has choreographed dance-dramas Andal Thiruppavai / अंदऱ थथ셁ꥍऩवाई, Tagore’s Chandalika / चंडालऱका and Kavi Kunjara Bharati’s Azhagar Kuravanji / अ煍गागर कु व셍ं ी and successfully revived forms like Nava Sandhi, Mela Prapti, Thodaya Mangalam, Prabhandams, etc. SAROJA VAIDYANATHAN: Loving guru Saroja Vaidyanathan initially trained in Bharatanatyam under guru Lalitha at Saraswati Gana Nilayam and later under guru Kattumannar Muthukumaran Pillai of Thanjavur. She is the third generation disciple of this venerable guru. She gave up her career in performance early due to her marriage but she established her own dance school, Natyalaya, in Delhi, became a prolific choreographer and trained a number of young dancers, including those from underprivileged families (under the NGO, Sarvam). She has to her credit ten full length ballets on diverse themes ranging from mythological stories to women’s empowerment, and nearly 2000 individual Bharatanatyam items. Saroja has written a number of books on Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music including The Classical Dances of India (for educational purposes), Bharatanatyam – An In-Depth Study, Carnataka Sangeetham, and The Science of Bharatanatyam. She has also released two CDs on Subramania Bharathi’s poems, CDs of three Margams (full course), a CD on the life of Paramacharya, VSDs of two Margams (full course) and a video of the basic Abhyas, fundamental Adavus along with Hastas, Viniyogas, Bhedas, Rasas and Gatis for educational and art institutions. DR. SUDHARANI RAGHUPATY: an aesthete A contemporary of Chitra Visweswaran, Sudharani Raghupaty was a student of U.S. Krishna Rao and later of Kittappa Pillai. She was an imaginative choreographer and fine teacher, and established her own school in Chennai, Sri Bharatalaya, training a long line of dancers, many of whom were also good at Nattuvangam. Her own son was an excellent mridangam player and so proved very useful to her institution. She worked closely with Madurai Krishnan, a talented music composer, and so with such support systems Sudharani was able to build up a formidable repertoire. Her signature varnam, Maye Madan Sodari / माये मदन सोदारी , composed in Todi by Madurai Krishnan, was extremely popular with dance cognoscenti.