Miscellany

Just too much respect for the natural does not mean a firm belief in the supernatural, albeit one could still believe in the super-human. It was exactly this conviction that delinked the sheer aptitude of Padma Bhushan Dr K Venkatalakshamma, the grand old lady of Indian dance -- or, more precisely the Mysore style of Bharatanatyam -- from the rest.

Classical imagery has always been an allegory, an art with great dancers -- not trade. And, Dr K Venkatalakshamma exemplified this spirit till her adieu, both in word and deed… More so, because, the dancer in her had more than what it takes to be an artiste, not to speak of her catch-as-catch-can bonhomie. And, as she took to dance when art was still a Cinderella step-child, Venkatalakshamma's sharp intellect, ready wit and liveliness stayed put throughout her life.

Born in a Banjara family, Venkatalakshamma did not have a background in art. Far from it, coming as she did from a 'backward' community, she had to wade through a quagmire: of obstacles that were dictated by opinionated, categorical and flimsy ground swell of ideas, most prominently, the practice of untouchability, and discrimination. But, for the little girl from Kadur, Karnataka, talent was a God-given gift, her main strength -- and, dance, a grease paint and footlight to life.

At the tender age of eight, Venkatalakshamma moved from her 'native' place to Mysore: the seat of the Wodeyars, whose patronage for art was cult a la what a sponsor's commitment to the game of cricket is today. Her one and only mission: to study Bharatanatyam under the quintessential guidance of 'Natya Saraswati,' Jetty Thayamma. A purist, Thayamma found in her diminutive pupil a rare, unexplored talent. And, as she inculcated in Venkatalakshamma the merits of rigorous training and practice, Thayamma insisted on one motif, a parable: "One guru, one form." It was blasphemy, for Thayamma, if one of her students would learn a little of Bharatanatyam, a bit of something else, from more than one teacher. Venkatalakshamma never ever forgot her revered mentor's aphorism... If anyone 'broke' the rule, it'd be tantamount to a breach of principle in Venkatalakshamma's outlook, likewise.

Aside from her diligent forays in dance, Venkatalakshamma learnt the essential components of Carnatic music under the tutelage of Dr B Devendrappa and C Rama Rao. This wasn't all. She also learnt Sanskrit, the slokas etc., under the able guidance of Vidwan Devotthama Jois. And, interspersed with her excursions in academics, Venkatalakshamma had had the honour of taking part in dance recitals, along with her guru, at the Mysore palace, for over two decades. What's more, Venkatalakshamma also served as Asthana Vidushi for exactly the same period in the courts of H H Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV and H H Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar, the last of the Mysore rulers: an incredible 'innings' of over 40 years.

Venkatalakshamma's contribution to dance is immense. Not only she trained a host of dancers from both India and abroad, but also served as dance teacher, reader and principal in several institutions, including the Faculty of Dance, University of Mysore, and Nupura School of Bharatanatyam, Bangalore…

The number of awards Venkatalakshamma won would be any statistician's delight. While she happened to be the first Bharatanatyam dancer to win the National Academy Award, in the stream, from Karnataka, in 1964, she was conferred the title of "Sangeeta Kala Ratna," under the aegis of Bangalore's Gayana Samaj, as late as 1989, followed by one of India's most prestigious awards, Padma Bhushan. But, for the first and foremost winner of the State Regional Academy Award, such accolades and plaudits had meant what one poet said: "A little pain, a little pleasure,/A little heaping up of treasure;/That no more gazing upon the Sun/All things must end that have begun."

When Venkatalakshamma was planning to retire from dance, she said: "We get old, the art form doesn't." To her, "speed was no criterion," in the sublime exposition of art, which is as distinct as navarasa to each style of dance. She often said: "Dance, to me, is like the enormous depths of an ocean." What did she have to say about the mad rush for experimentation? "Experiments/fusion are welcome, but they should be fostered from a classical base. Also, use your imagination... for new forms to emerge from old concepts. You can't produce an old concept from a new idea. I have myself experimented with several compositions based on Sanskrit slokas, including dance-dramas. The entire exercise has been research-oriented... without compromise on the basic tenets."

Venkatalakshamma often forgot food, water, just about everything, when she spoke on her passion, a way of life: dance. She also did not take kindly to the idea of 'instant schools,' and arangetrams that are arranged at the proverbial drop of a hat. "Dance should be learned in the mind and heart, or not at all." Be that as it may, the high-priestess, a D Litt from Mysore University, also conceded that a combination of dance forms, juxtaposed by a racy style, which cater to modern tastes, was essential for survival from the commercial angle, as maybe the 'foreign factor.' "A dancer who makes it big in the West is what winners are made of."

Venkatalakshamma never thought of making a fortune through dance. And, she did not envy the change that has come about by way of monetary rewards, sponsorships etc., "Times change," she would often say with a smile. Though a documentary has been made on her remarkable career, TV and the print media never gave her the advantage that may now be commonplace to modern artistes. "TV was unheard of during my prime -- and, pictures of dancers appearing in print were also a rarity," she often noted. An admirer of Rukmini Devi Arundale, Venkatalakshamma was not averse to seeing, appreciating new themes in Indian dance, and the idea of blending Western music with Bharatanatyam, for instance. Did she watch dance recitals on the idiot box? "Yes, with interest."

A rigid teacher, perfectionist and fastidious dancer, Venkatalakshamma never believed in making a fuss about anything. A virtue that separates the great from the ordinary. She's not only a phenomenon; she's, till the twilight period of her long odyssey through dance, a zealous servant of her art.