Kathakali maestro Milena Salvini was particular in keeping tradition and purity of artforms

It was in 2017, when I performed solo at the Centre Mandapa, that I got an opportunity to get close to Milena Salvini.
Milena Salvini. (Photo | Twitter)
Milena Salvini. (Photo | Twitter)

It was in 2017, when I performed solo at the Centre Mandapa, that I got an opportunity to get close to Milena Salvini. She appreciated my passion for classical dance and used to send regular mails encouraging me to pursue my dreams.

Sharing her experience during her first visit to Kalamandalam, Milena said she was the first woman student of the institution. With no electricity, she used oil lamps and candles at night. But that didn’t deter her. She opened a world of opportunities for Kathakali and Koodiyattam artists by arranging theatre performances across Europe with support from UNESCO. We are indebted to her for the kind of acceptance for Indian classical arts across the world.

Milena had dedicated her life for the promotion of Indian culture and was revered by artists both in France and India. The respect she enjoyed among Kathakali artists in Kerala was surprising. My father, Yves Quinio, who is a theatre artist, met her at the Centre Mandapa in 1982 seeking guidance to learn Kathakali. She introduced him to a person at Cheruthuruthy, and that was the beginning of our life-long relationship with Kerala.

The inauguration of the Centre Mandapa in Paris, in 1975, marked a turning point in her life as it grew into a legendary venue in the world of Indian classical dance and music. Her appreciation was precious to all artists as she was very particular about maintaining the tradition and purity of the artforms.

I feel blessed to have met her on the occasion of my Bharatanatyam solo performance and the duet, Krishna Mayam, with Pallippuram Sunil at the Centre Mandapa in Paris. Krishna Mayam was a fusion of Kathakali and Bharatanatyam, and Milena was concerned about my attempt to bring both artforms together. But she was so impressed by our performance that her eyes welled up and she hugged me after the programme. That was the biggest recognition I received in my life. Mandapa is a small theatre with around 100 seats but the ambience is great.

Definitely, she was the ambassador of Indian classical arts in the Western world.

(The writer is a dancer and actress born in France and settled in Kerala)

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