Vijayalakshmi is not new to classical dance. Belonging to the current generation of Mohiniyattam dancers, she is acknowledged as one of the most eminent exponents of this dance form today. Recently she choreographed “Rain”, an innovative choreographic work in the Mohiniyattam dance form, at the IIC festival. The production is inspired by poet Sudeep Sen’s critically acclaimed book of poetry, Rain.
Vijayalakshmi, who has carved a distinct niche by her unique style of dance, has played a significant role in the revival and rejuvenation of the Indian classical dance form. She brings a much-needed fresh perspective and insight and has greatly contributed to its enrichment and glory.
The musical arrangement in “Rain”, an Indo-American vision, is unique. Vijayalakshmi had worked very closely with Los Angeles-based music composer Mac Quayle to arrange traditional Kerala rhythms, Dhrupad, Rabindra Sangeet and contemporary elements which are all brought together seamlessly into a unique composition. It was furthered by her collaboration with artistic director Sara Baur-Harding in Los Angeles, who also directed the documentary film on her mother and herself called Beyond Grace and the 3D short film Carmen.
“I have interpreted ‘Rain’ through the idiom of Mohiniyattam, the south Indian classical dance, which through its fluidity and ability to convey emotions and moods, is very suited to express the metaphor of rain,” says Vijayalakshmi.
Besides choreography, Vijayalakshmi has designed the music in “Rain” too. She says, “Inspired by Dhrupad, the breakthrough in the music came with composer Quayle’s refreshing and evocative interpretation of a popular song of Rabindranath Tagore, which was sung by me. It was challenging, at the same enriching to bring all these diverse traditions of music into one production.”
She feels that because of the richly textured multicultural music, Rain can definitely appeal to every audience. “To begin with, the response to its premier presentation at the IIC Festival was very encouraging and was received well. Since Rain is a universal experience, everyone can instantly relate to it.”
Talking about the increasing number of classical dance festivals in India, Vijayalakshmi says, “It’s a welcome phenomenon to find so many classical dance festivals being organised all over the country. It would certainly inspire young dancers to firstly watch Indian classical dance and then perhaps inspire a few to even pursue it seriously.” She thinks that watching a live classical dance will also give enthusiastic learners an insight into the rich heritage of our dance traditions, which reflects the true heritage of our country.
Born into a family with a long lineage of traditional performing arts, Vijayalakshmi didn’t have difficulties as such, but had different kind of challenges as a young dancer. She feels that the field of dance has become very competitive and today a lot more is required from the dancer, i.e. beyond just dance — be it in terms of presentation, organising, marketing or media outreach. She says, “These are perhaps more challenging times, given the media attention given to Bollywood.”
Vijayalakshmi says she always strives to come up with new dance forms because, according to her, anything that is monotonous can become uninteresting. She feels it is the artists’ responsibility to create and sustain interest in the audience. “It is a fact that classical arts will always have a niche audience. So artists need to keep pace with time — innovate without losing the essence of the art form — and expand this niche over time. The beauty of tradition is that it can be modernised. Tradition can be re-interpreted, re-discovered and re-looked. The human emotions, its intricacies and complexities are so beautifully depicted in our epics that it has tremendous scope for re-interpretation. Similarly in traditional/classical art forms, refreshing changes can be brought about without deviating from tradition.”
Some of the other recent works of Vijayalakshmi includes — recently she choreographed and danced Mohiniyattam to African rhythms during the first ever Indo-African Summit held at the Purana Quila organised by the ICCR, comprising over 10 major African countries. It was followed by Paryapti, which was inspired from the musical traditions of Bengal. Last year, her Centre for Mohiniyattam presented Tagore’s Bhanushingher Padavali.
The documentary feature film Beyond Grace, featuring her mother, Guru Bharati Shivaji, and herself will be screened at the Indian Festival of Music and Dance in Singapore on November 25. Vijayalakshmi will also be performing following the screening.
Asking young dancers to enjoy dance and keep away from self-promotion and marketing, Vijayalakshmi says, “Enjoy dance for its experience. Don’t get caught up in self-promotion and marketing and looking for instant success.”