As the tenth version of the tribute pageant to Ok.J. Sarasa begins as we speak in Chennai, right here’s wanting again at how the primary girl nattuvanar helped younger dancers discover their very own distinct expression
As the tenth version of the tribute pageant to Ok.J. Sarasa begins as we speak in Chennai, right here’s wanting again at how the primary girl nattuvanar helped younger dancers discover their very own distinct expression
“Performing is best-suited for those with a good stage presence. However, the shelf life of a performer is often short, while teaching can be a lifelong pursuit. So I strongly feel you should opt for the latter,” stated guru Vazhuvoor Ramaiah Pillai. The younger lady who nurtured the need to be a performer, felt her goals falling aside. Nevertheless, she heeded her guru’s recommendation, and has by no means regretted. Ok.J. Sarasa rose to develop into probably the most sought-after Bharatanatyam dance gurus.
Sarasalaya (identify coined by writer Sivasankari, her disciple) that she based in 1960 grew to become the go-to establishment for kids who wished to be taught the artwork type. She is credited with having carried out greater than 1,000 arangetrams and a couple of,000 performances. Among her college students was additionally the previous Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu J. Jayalalithaa.
Many of as we speak’s senior performers and lecturers together with Ratna Papa, Padmini Ravi, Seeta Ratnakar, Srekala Bharath, A. Lakshman, Urmila Satyanarayanan, Lavanya Ananth, Swarnamalya Ganesh, Bhargavi Gopalan, Lavanya Shankar, Meena Logan, Sailaja, Kavitha Ramu, Poornima Kaushik, Divyatha Arun, and Raghuram Master have been groomed at Sarasalaya.
Challenging journey
Sarasa didn’t have it simple although. Her journey was fraught with challenges at each stage however she overcame them along with her ardour and dedication. She fell in love with the artwork type after watching Kumari Kamala carry out in her native village Karaikkal.
Fortunately for Sarasa, Kattumannar Koil Muthukumara Pillai, Kamala’s guru, agreed to journey from Mayavaram to Karaikkal to show her. Later, he instructed that she proceed her coaching beneath Vazhuvoor Ramaiah Pillai. She shifted to Madras and lived in gurukulavasam to be taught from him. Thus started her lengthy affiliation with Bharatanatyam.
Alongside the lessons in adavus and abhinaya, Sarasa additionally educated extensively in music. Hailing from a household of musicians, she may grasp and reproduce brighas and sangatis immediately due to which her guru would jocularly check with her as his “tape recorder”. She sang on the performances of her guru’s star disciples, and her melodious voice enhanced the enchantment of the performances. He then initiated her into nattuvangam and she or he grew to become the primary girl nattuvanar, making a mark in a male-dominated world.
Ok.J. Sarasa along with her college students
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Choreography for movies
She learnt to choreograph dance sequences for movies when she started accompanying her guru, who labored with in style dancer-actors resembling Kamala, Vyjayanthimala and the Travancore sisters, to units. She received the chance to independently choreograph for films, however gave it up because of the erratic work schedules. These experiences stood her in good stead when she began Sarasalaya, an establishment that held its personal among the many many colleges of Bharatanatyam.
Though a torchbearer of the Vazhuvoor bani, she was by no means hesitant to adapt to the altering occasions. A strict disciplinarian, Sarasa ensured that each scholar perfected the grammar of the artwork. She all the time burdened on the significance of type and approach.
Most of her college students recall how Sarasalaya was like a second house, whose doorways have been all the time open for them to stroll in anytime to be taught and rehearse and even to speak. Sarasa trainer, as they known as her, was an open-minded guru, who was additionally a caring guardian. She gave them the liberty to improvise and interpret with out transferring away from the standard values of the artwork type. She believed in all-round coaching, which included music, nattuvangam, make-up and aharya (costume and jewelry). She by no means compromised on the aesthetics when it got here to stage performances.
Showing the nuances of abhinaya
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“This concern and care are what endeared Sarasa to her students”, says Meena Logan, niece of the late guru.
Sarasa additionally produced and choreographed greater than 50 natya natakams, and two of her productions, ‘Shakuntalam’ and ‘Vikramorvasiyam’ gained the Swarna Kamal award on the Kalidas Samaroh in Ujjain.
A recipient of a number of awards and honours, together with being appointed because the honorary director of the Bharatanatyam Department on the Tamil Nadu Government Music College by Jayalalithaa. But for Sarasa, what mattered extra was the love of her college students, who’ve unfold her identify and work throughout the globe.
To trainer, with love
Shanmuga Sundaram
| Photo Credit: Avey Varghese
Every yr Shanmuga Sundaram has been organising and curating the tribute pageant, Sarasa Natya Mala. It is his manner of expressing gratitude to a trainer who guided him by way of his life’s journey. He was 21, when he got here from Namakkal to be taught Bharatanatyam. Seeing his ardour, she instantly agreed to coach him with out gurudakshina. He continues to maintain Sarasalaya operating by conducting lessons in Chennai, and likewise in different international locations resembling Germany, Switzerland, Amsterdam and Malaysia.
This yr marks the tenth version of the pageant, and might be held as we speak and tomorrow at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mylapore, from 5 p.m. Performances by Ok.J. Sarasa’s senior disciples Srekala Bharath, Urmila Sathyanarayanan, Sailaja, Lavanya Sankar and Divyatha Arun are on the anvil. Chief visitor on the inaugural day is Chitra Visweswaran.
Sarasa Memorial awards (6.30 p.m.) might be given to D.V. Kanakadurga, senior Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi vocalist; senior dancer Ananda Shankar Jayant; and nattuvanar Kuttalam M. Selvam. Ananda Shankar Jayant will current ‘Tyagaraja Ramayanam – Ekaharya’ (7 p.m.).
Day Two will function ‘Nartaka Natyam’, performances by male dancers: Shanmuga Sundaram; A. Lakshmanaswamy, V.P. Dhananjayan, Ramli Ibrahim and A. Janardhanan.
The Chennai-based reviewer writes on classical music and dance.
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Source: www.thehindu.com
