Two-day dance fete in Bengaluru will celebrate Rukmini Devi Arundale's legacy

Marking the 120th birth anniversary of Rukmini and the 149th birth anniversary of Kathakali exponent T K Chandu Panikar, the event organised by Kalakshiti School of Fine Arts will see the presentation of 12 dances across two days.

Bengaluru: A festival celebrating the legacy of Bharatanatyam revivalist Rukmini Devi Arundale will be held this weekend. Organised by Kalakshiti School of Fine Arts, the event will see the presentation of 12 dances across two days. 

It marks the 120th birth anniversary of Rukmini and the 149th birth anniversary of kathakali exponent T K Chandu Panikar. 

Kalakshiti was set up in 1991 by M R Krishnamurthy, a direct disciple of Rukmini. The dances will be performed by his students. 

The first day begins with a choreography set to ‘Ksheerasagara shayana’, a popular Karnatik song composed by Tyagaraja. ‘Yela varna’, ‘Thaiyale’, and ‘Kamakshi amba’ are some of the other songs that the performers will dance to over the two days. Most of the pieces feature choreography by Rukmini. The movements for ‘Yela varna’, for instance, were first choreographed by Rukmini in 1966. 

Rukmini is credited with reviving and redefining Bharatanatyam, which was originally called sadir. Sadir, a form of devadasi dancing, was considered a vulgar art. Rukmini reformed it by eliminating the sensuousness and sringara of the style and renaming it. Thanks to her efforts, it morphed into a devotional form of dance. She further reshaped it by using musical instruments like violin as accompaniments and by tweaking the garments and jewellery that were originally worn as costumes.

A proponent of the Pandanallur style of Bharatanatyam, Rukmini was known for the padam dance, which is a slow and expressive form usually performed solo. Her dance school, Kalakshetra, in Chennai, was set up in 1936. 

“Sticking to tradition, being devoted to the art form are very important. Rukmini laid emphasis on mudras, hastha and lakshana. We have kept in tune with this in our school,” says 87-year-old Krishnamurthy, who began learning Bharatanatyam at the age of 16 at Kalakshetra, the year it was founded. 

Rukmini Devi Arundale Festival. March 2 and 3, 5.30 pm, at Kalakshiti School of Fine Arts, N R Colony. For details, call 96633 22474.