In the footsteps of a Bharatanatyam icon

T Balasaraswati in performance. Pic/Magnum Photos, New York

Earlier this year, a rapt audience at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris soaked in the grandiose of the Brihadisvara Temple of Thanjavur, as Bharatanatyam exponent Bala Devi Chandrashekar presented a slice of history through her graceful moves. The feat was unparalleled, but not an inconceivable one - Bharatanatyam is one of the most widely travelled Indian dance forms.

Until early 20th century, however, Bharatanatyam was confined to the temples of southern India. And its history would perhaps have been different had it not been for T Balasaraswati. Born in a family of musicians and dancers who served the 18th-century Thanjavur court, Balasaraswati had her debut public performance at the age of seven. She gained early recognition for her expertise in the art form.

But with the passage of the Madras Devadasis Prevention of Dedication Act (1947), several Bharatanatyam artistes gave up their practice. Balasaraswati's performances became few and far between, too, but only to re-emerge when she set up a school to train new artistes. Her art started reaching foreign shores and she gained the critical appreciation of Margot Fonteyn, Martha Graham and Merce Cunningham. She remained in the service of Bharatanatyam, until she breathed her last in 1984.

This year marks her birth centenary, and to acquaint the art aficionados of Mumbai with the legend, Delhi-based award-winning writer, editor, translator and culture critic Veejay Sai will be presenting an illustrated talk this Friday.

Veejay Sai

"I first gave the talk in Delhi, which was well received. So, it made sense to bring it to Mumbai, the city she had a long association with," shares Sai. The exponent regularly performed at the Shanmukhananda Hall in Sion, and the director of Matunga's Sri Rajarajeswari Bharatha Natya Kala Mandir,

K Kalyanasundaram, is her distant relative. The talk weaves in rare photographs, videos and archival material. "People like Balasaraswati are born once in a lifetime. This talk is a tribute to her legacy," Sai sums up.

ON September 28, 7 pm
AT Little Theatre, NCPA
CALL 22824567

FREE

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