RAMA VAIDYANATHAN believes that dance is about finding new pathways, says Uma Nair
Compositions and choreographies find new territory in the heart and mind of danseuse Rama Vaidyanathan. Her repertoire ranges from ingenuous renditions like Brahmakalpa to vintage traditional pieces like Sringaralahari. “I started learning dance from Yamini Krishnamurthy at the tender age of six. It was my mother Madhavi Gopalakrishnan’s dream that I become a dancer. later I got married to Guru Saroja Vaidyanathan’s son. So, my future as a full time dancer was sealed at the age of 19,” shared Vaidyanathan.
Vaidyanathan performs contemporary themes in the traditional medium, and interprets the compositions with verve. “When I do a padam, varnam, keerthanam or thillana — it’s all set compositions. But, when I work on contemporary themes, like in the case of Brahmakalpa, the flow of the composition helps in finding its own course. I don’t preconceive or straitjacket my recital into a traditional concert format. I let it create its own space, musically and composition-wise,” explains Vaidyanathan, who belongs to a new clutch of dancers, one’s who exploring transitions in tradition without disturbing the edifice.
She believes dance is about finding new pathways in inclusive elements. Among compositions, her historic Chithravalli, is set to Hindustani style of music. “In Chithravalli, I was working with miniature paintings, which were a part of the North India under the patronage of North Indian kings. Costumes, settings.. are all North Indian and to match that flavour, I used Hindustani music,” she affirms.
However, the challenge for her has always been showcasing a narrative sequence without making it look melodramatic. “As classical dance is suggestive and not explicit”
She travels to the US twice a year for performances and enjoys it due to the positive response she gets on every visit. There is a huge population of Indians who are interested but there is also a sizeable group of Americans who are slowly getting interested in the Indian culture. It can be witnessed from the audiences which comprises a wide web of different cultures.
Vaidyanathan has used Bharatanatyam to push boundaries and believes in increasing the rubrics of dance vocabulary. “It’s like learning new languages, enabling us to communicate with more people, but we can’t move forward unless we have our foundation intact.”
The Delhi dweller loves the city for it’s synergy of the ancient and the modern history. “Every corner has a past, a story to tell but at the same time everywhere we look there is a development that looks towards the future. My favourite monument is the Qutab Minar because of its grand presence in the city’s landscape and also because of it’s quiet and peaceful surroundings.”
In terms of music she finds a confluence between carnatic as well as other forms, she throws in a thumri, a Hindi composition set to Hindustani music. Recently in Chennai, she used an abhang by the saint poet Janabai as her concluding piece. One of her most poignant projects was Jeevadasavastha presented at Natyakala Conference, showcasing the 10 stages of life.
Her favourite story from mythology is the Raasleela when Krishna danced with numerous gopikas in Vrindavan. “There was just one Krishna but there were hundreds of women each thinking that Krishna was dancing only with her,” reminisces Vaidyanathan. “I find its symbolism extremely enlightening, as it tells us that there is only one God and each one of us feels that energy within us.”
