We think our lives are an accumulation of myriad passions, desires, aspirations and expectations, all rolled into one. Not true for Bharatanatyam dancer Rama Vaidyanathan. Her life and her art form go hand in hand in a symbiotic way that makes them mutually self-sufficient. At the moment, she is in hibernation of sorts. The time just before a performance demands nothing besides her full commitment.
Performing at Samadrishti, a dance show that pays tribute to Carnatic musician ML Vasanthakumari, Vaidyanathan seizes the opportunity to present her respect to a late stalwart she has so fondly listened to all these years.
Samadrishti translates as looking at each other with respect and equanimity. Its relevance can be seen in the way Vaidyanathan will be collaborating with Chennai based Carnatic singer Sudha Ragunathan who will sing Vasanthakumari’s popular numbers. “I didn’t have the chance of meeting her but her music gives me direction, besides a lot of happiness and satisfaction. It’s a privilege to perform to a legend’s repository, connecting back beautifully to old times,” says Vaidyanathan.
The programme is being organised on the 90th birth anniversary of MLV. The selection is a line of compositions popularised by MLV Amma, fondly called so by Vaidyanathan and many of her other admirers.