Standing in front of Thanjavur's famed Brihadisvara temple recently, dancer Rajashree Warrier was overwhelmed by the intricate work that has gone into creating the architectural marvel. For an artist like her, it was eternity encapsulated in a moment.
"Creation is the word," Rajashree said. "A work of art is everything. Therein is our enlightenment."
Rajashree is the founder and director of UTTARIKA, Centre for Performing Arts focusing on Research and training in Bharatanatyam, Carnatic Music, and Experimental Theatre.
In a freewheeling chat with The New Indian Express Online, Rajashree dwelt at length about her dance, writing, and singing and how she manages to pursue her passions with such elan in this age of clickbait-crazy social media and fast-paced life.
Rajashree's heart is in Bharathanatyam. She does experimental theatre based on Bharathanatyam. She is trained in that form and that technique has become her language.
She spoke of the discipline an art form demands from its practitioners and students. "Discipline," she explains, "not in a commercial sense, but in a spiritual sense, like meditation."
Her lifelong love for Carnatic music is a product of the tutelage of Sri Mullamudu Harihara Iyer and Perumbavoor G Raveendranath among others.
"When you start working on a composition, it's highly meditative, it's energizing, and it brings a kind of bliss inside you which you radiate outwardly. When you're contented as an artist, you will then be able to spread the joy without restraint," she said.
Rajashree goes on to observe that along with this as a teacher "you have to share whatever you know with your students."
When asked how she manages to strike a balance between her passion for dancing, writing, and singing, she explained, "The question of 'striking a balance' does not arise at all. My first love has always been dancing. Dancing is like life to me. It's like breathing, inhaling and exhaling. Music comes along with it," said Rajashree who has a PhD in music for her study of Varnas in Dual Forms: Tana Varnas and Pada Varnas from the Kerala University.
"Music and dance go together in my life. Writing, on the other hand, is impulsive. I'm a voracious reader. I've been writing English poetry for the past few years, encouraged by my friends. A few of my poems have been published in journals," she noted.
"Once I had the privilege to speak with the Bharathanatyam exponent Alarmel Valli. Valli Akka said that what you see is the song itself. In my dance, you can see the song. I feel that my dance is music. They are inseparable," she said and added, "As a music practitioner, I sing a lot. I sing while teaching dance, I explore phrases while working with a composition with choreography, and while conceptualize my choreographies musically. So, I have a musical structure for my choreography."
Rajashree said that she is privileged to have had teachers who were visionaries. Her Bharathanatyam mentors were V Mythili and Jayanthi Subramaniam.
Moreover, she recalls her parents helped her and her brother appreciate art right from a tender age. Their political outlook and love for the arts helped the siblings.
"It has moulded us intellectually. During summer vacations, we were sent to Jawahar Bhala Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram since our parents had to go to work. It was there I found my Bharathanatyam guru," Rajashree recalls.
However, she said that she stopped giving concerts long ago. "Because as a performer you're expected to give your 100 per cent and you've to maintain your energy level. That is impossible in this age," she noted.
When asked about her stint as a TV anchor, Rajashree said, "My days at the Institute of Journalism in Thiruvananthapuram helped me to work on my presentational capabilities. It was such a wonderful period. All those teachers were senior journalists and they had hands-on experience as a journalist. So, it helped me."
Rajashree said that she writes most of the music that appears in her dance. For instance, she noted, "When I did the Shikandi Kauthuvam, the lyrics was in colloquial Tamil. Again, when I did Bhagavathi Chind and Navarasa Kauthuvam in colloquial Tamil, I got the help of my friends to edit it. Even while working on a character or a particular context on a Purana or an epic I used to discuss it with my friends. Whether it is the friends or someone within the household, I would like to have constructive criticism."
"I think I'm my worst critic," she hastens to add. "Of course, I take constructive criticism from my well-wishers and art enthusiasts. Besides, I get my performances recorded and watch it over and over again. It's very difficult for me to watch my performance because I see only faults and there will be a lot of portions where I need to make improvements and work more to make it more perfect," she said.
Rajashree said that dancing requires dedication.
"It's not just about movements; it's about striving for perfection. Beyond being a performer, there's a path for us to become artists. A dancer who's excellent at performing might not necessarily be able to guide an artist to their destination. Learning directly under a guru for even a short period can teach you more than years of self-study. The foundation needs to be strong. Don't think that everything needs to be mastered instantly. Understand the structure of the art. I am emphasizing that you should not only focus on YouTube tutorials for compositions but also on dance classes. It requires learning from a guru's guidance," she notes.
Her advice to aspiring artists who wish to explore multiple artistic disciplines simultaneously is simple.
"Work hard. Don't be a clone of any artist, don't blindly imitate popular artists, and don't take popularity as the best because there is no best, there is no number 1, there is no number 2, in dance. Every senior artist, every professional everyone who has succeeded in becoming an artist has his or her way. In ones chosen way, one has to become the best and the unwanted competition doesn't help you and it's all about being your best rather than competing with anyone," she said.
Finally, she noted, "I don't restrict my children. I never tell them to do this, do that, or what to watch and what not to. They will find out for themselves what is good for them as they move forward in life. I don't impose a lot of rules. But when it comes to learning dance, it's different. I insist on discipline in that matter. Because understanding a dance technique is very important. Every dancer should have a good, strong foundation. I always want my students to have patience and continuous practice in learning dance."