A legendary Vazhuvoor dancer
A well-known figure to dancers, musicians and rasikas of Bharatanatyam, Kalaimamani Smt. Rhadha is a legend and an exponent of the Vazhuvoor style of Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance form she has been dancing since age five. She was trained along with her older sister Smt. Kamala, often referred to as Kumari Kamala, under the renowned guru, Natyacharya Vazhuvoor Shri Ramaiah Pillai.
The Vazhuvoor style is known for its graceful movements, intricate footwork, and emphasis on abhinaya, or expressional aspects of the dance.
Smt. Rhadha has traveled and performed extensively in India and around the world, and also choreographed several dance dramas. They include Jaya Jaya Devi and Lakshmi Prabhavam which were performed in the Bay Area in the ’90s. In 1982, Smt. Rhadha launched her dance school, Pushpanjali, where she continues to be a fierce advocate of the Vazhuvoor bani of Bharatanatyam as ever.
Based in Chennai and the U.S., Smt. Rhadha was recently in the Bay Area visiting her son and conducting a series of workshops and a performance titled “An Afternoon of Abhinaya.” Bay Area Carnatic musician Smt. Subhapriya Srivatsan accompanied the performance on May 5th in Palo Alto. Smt. Subhapriya Srivatsan and I visited Smt. Rhadha at her son’s home in Saratoga for an engaging discussion on music and dance. To see the full conversation visit our YouTube channel!
Meanwhile, here are 5 tips from our conversation on how to be a better Bharatanatyam dancer.
Tip 1 – Practice the 3 speeds of adavus daily. “Whether there is a program or not, you have to practice it daily.”
Tip 2 – In the natyarambha position, do not jut the back and bend too forward.
Tip 3 – Dancers today practice so much aramandi, says Smt. Rhadha. “You don’t need so much aramandi.” When you almost reach the floor, a common thought is that the dancer’s aramandi is great. That is not so, she says, because “your vertebrae is not erect.”
Tip 4 – When performing nritta, it is not just about stomping the feet hard. There should be a grace about it. “My guru used to say, you have to jump like a deer” and be very light on the stage.
Tip 5 – When performing abhinaya do not exaggerate the emotion. It should be performed in a very simple “and beautiful way that touches your heart,” otherwise the face looks garish and the body vulgar, with unnecessary movement.