#PastForward: Rukmini Vijayakumar on what anchors bharatanatyam in Bengaluru

Regarded as one of the most compelling classical performers of her generation — bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer and actress — Rukmini Vijayakumar is known for her innovative choreography, emotional depth and aesthetic precision. The city has seen her develop, thrive and flourish as artistic director of the Raadha Kalpa Dance Company, the director of the art space LshVa and the founder of The Raadha Kalpa Method, a distinctive pedagogical system for training bharatanatyam dancers that emphasises clarity, physical efficiency and imaginative expression.

So naturally, when curating our special anniversary edition, we turned to her expertise, experience and old tales that shaped Bengaluru’s classical industry dance.

“When I began my journey as a performer in Bengaluru, the dance scene was very different. There weren’t nearly as many festivals as there are today, nor were there as many venues. We mostly had places like Ravindra Kalakshetra, Chowdiah Hall and ADA Rangamandira, along with a few smaller spaces. In those days, I was writing a lot of physical letters, sending videotapes, printing out reviews, compiling 50 to 60-page documents to post to festival curators. Now we have several small, accessible performance venues like Shoonya, Sabha, Medai and BIC — theatres with much more intimate capacities. Their presence has made the city’s art scene far more vibrant,” Rukmini tells us.

The way knowledge is acquired and shared in the dance community has shifted dramatically and her own journey reflects that transition.

“I spent years researching, speaking to different people, observing teaching methodologies, understanding how injuries were caused and why. I studied pilates, anatomy and physiology, yoga — all to understand my own body better. Now, if you go on Instagram, thousands of people are sharing excellent information on these same subjects. So, in terms of access to knowledge, there is unquestionably much more available today. But with this overflow of information, I sometimes feel there is also a great deal of distraction,” she clarifies.

Like any art form in the modern day, classical dance forms come with their own set of obstacles that often trouble a performer and at times the artform itself.

“Classical form is never going to become pop-culture. Pop-culture draws the masses — thousands of people and all kinds of audiences — and a classical form simply doesn’t have that. We will always remain within theatres, concert halls and smaller spaces. We’re not going to move into stadiums and that’s perfectly fine. It’s a different kind of audience and a different kind of experience. Before the advent of social media, the typical audience consisted largely of older people and those who were already art connoisseurs. Now I see many more youngsters, individuals who have developed an interest after seeing videos on my YouTube channel or on Instagram step into a bharatanatyam performance. I think that is truly wonderful,” she enthuses.

Beyond the stage, Rukmini’s versatility extends into creating her own signature styles, demonstrating her expressive range across artistic mediums, while honouring the rich heritage of our nation.

“There is the bharatanatyam costume, the one many people now refer to as the ‘Rukmini style’ costume. That costume came out of necessity. There was one performance where I had a quick change and in earlier shows my pallu kept coming untucked because I was doing backbends. It would come loose mid-performance and it looked terrible. I needed a solution to both problems. So, I attached the pallu to my blouse and shaped it like a leaf. I left the pallu hanging like a sari because it felt organic to the character I was portraying (Radha). I also changed the material of the fan to georgette so that it would move more fluidly and I stitched the fan directly to the trousers,” she reveals.

Finally, we wonder, what is it about this ancient art form that makes it truly beautiful and relevant to this day. We learn from the artiste herself.

“Bharatanatyam, like most other classical Indian dance forms, has deep spiritual roots. In terms of physicality, there are certain aesthetics: the arms, the positions, the overall form. And the third essential element is rhythm, which I feel is the heartbeat of a bharatanatyam performance. These are the core components. Everything else — the structure, the presentation, will always change depending on the choreographer and the dancer,” she signs off.

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