Dance…Ufff!!
Dancing allows me to experience absolute freedom. However, I never thought I would be taking up performing arts as my profession, that too Mohiniyattam. Mohiniyattam happened! The form chose me, and that is the truth.
Having dedicated myself to the art, I didn’t know how to develop myself or contribute to the art as Indian classical dance is multidimensional with many grammars: movements, rhythm, poetry, music, language, that has to be interpreted and appropriated. Besides, learning how to reinvent to convey abstract ideas in a simple manner with conviction and originality was also not something that is written in any text or passed on orally as a formula. The unwritten rule in traditional pedagogy is that Time is the ultimate teacher. But at the same time, everything cannot be left also to Time. So, during the initial years as an artist, I used to attend every music lecture and dance concert happening in the city not knowing where the learning would come from. And my effort paid off when I went to watch a performance of Vidushi (title) Malavika Sarukkai.
Eloquent and charismatic that she is, Malavika introduced Ganga’vataran: the descent of Ganga as her new dance creative. She described how Devprayag, the sacred ford where Alaknanda: a sluggish, brown, wide, meandering river through the valleys merges with Bhageerathi: a clear, turquoise blue, dynamic and gushing forcefully from the hills, became inspirations for her creative. After that, she danced, and I watched. It must have lasted some 15-20 mins; but it was engaging- the rhythm, the music, the movements – everything was so harmonious that it created raptures in me. Coming out of the auditorium, I was intrigued and drawn to the location – Devprayag.
The opportunity to visit Devprayag did not happen for another couple of years. But, when I did, I found the confluence of the two rivers at Devprayag to be exactly how Malavika had described. Without thinking, I sat on an edge where the rivers kissed each other with feet wrapped around a pole (so that the current wouldn’t take me away). The experience was spine chilling: figuratively and literally! (What Malavika missed out telling about the rivers was -) Alakananda’s water is warm and Bhageerathi feels ice cold and in those moments I felt life and nature were lashing against my body. And the sight thereon of the rivers dancing together as Ganga… touched an intimate space in me, opening new dimensions.
In fact, Jvala’s logo is designed acknowledging that knowledge resides within all as light, but will shine only when unique experiences quench our existential thirst; keeping our true self pulsating.
