Latest news with #Varnams
New Indian Express
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Tradition without a twist: Dancer Rukmini Vijayakumar on recent accolade and her journey as an artiste
When the world constantly rushes, chasing new things, traditional art forms often quietly ask us to pause, slow down and feel the moment. For dancer-actor Rukmini Vijayakumar, Bharatanatyam has been that space for a long time, always evolving yet rooted. Recently honoured with the Kumar Gandharva award, a national recognition from the Department of Culture of Madhya Pradesh, she sees it as a recognition that comes as a moment of reflection. 'Any recognition for an artiste is validating,' she says, adding, 'Arts is often sidelined in more ways than one. And sometimes, we wonder what is the true relevance? Because art is a product of comfort, it comes after many other things. So, with recognition, it feels like we're doing something right and should keep going,' she says. Vijayakumar's work, though often seen as contemporary or experimental in presentation, remains grounded in the Bharatanatyam tradition. 'I don't fuse my work with other forms. I don't do what we term 'fusion'. I strive to become better within the tradition,' she notes. Having started at the age of five, she continues to study Carnatic music, rhythm, and spiritual context, while keeping classical items central to her works. 'I don't stop performing Varnams or Jatisvarams or Tillanas. They're a part of my performance vocabulary. I still make new work while revering the tradition,' explains Vijayakumar, who lost her teachers very young. 'I've been by myself ever since, so I was searching for opportunities,' she says. 'My style wasn't meant to be different; I was just trying to understand the form,' she adds. Besides the hats of a classical dancer and choreographer, Vijaykumar gets candid about her recently-debuted standup comedy show, The Dancer and the Bag. 'It's a normal standup show. It's just that I use my life as a dancer. Comedy is scary for me…but it was more about trying to do something to challenge me,' she laughs, reflecting on her show that draws humour from her own life. About the future of classical dance, she says: 'It is evolving. We can't control it. That's just how it is.' And to young dancers, her advice is rooted in experience: 'Practice, practice, practice. Keep learning. Just think of the art in you,' she concludes.
New Indian Express
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Bharatanatyam dancer Vidhya Subramanian uses Varnam as a medium to explore dualities
Drawing inspiration from this instrument is Vidhya Subramanian, an award-winning dancer, choreographer, and teacher, who aims to interpret this philosophy to life through a Bharatanatyam ensemble. 'Several years ago, I wanted to present a work on the idea of balance. I realised I needed to philosophically delve into it. Years later, when I was thinking about the instruments of gods, I came across the damru. At one point, while doing my research, I connected the two — balance and the damru,' she shares when asked about the show's conception. Every recital would also involve the sounds of damru, though not constantly. The choreographies explore various dualities like the synergy between the earth and the sky, the tangible and the intangible, young and old, among others, all conveyed through Varnams — a traditional Bharatanatyam format that often explores elaborate storylines. 'Traditionally, in Varnams there is an obvious duality between the nayika and the other, with the nayika yearning for union with the universe or energy (often personified as a deity),' Vidhya says, adding how these traditional confines have allowed her to shift the pillars, reimagine the structure, and create meaningful interpretations within the classical framework.
