At the recent Vilasini Natyam performance in the Telugu University for Anandapriya Foundation, the hall was packed with the audience even spilling over into the aisles and a host of photographers clicking away at every possible opportunity.
But then the performance was of an art considered an exotic dance form, and the performer was the talented and graceful Yashoda Thakore.
Trained in Kuchipudi for 14 years under renowned dancer-choreographer Sobha Naidu, and then Vilasini Natyam under iconic dancer Swapnasundari, Yashoda performs both to critical appreciation. She also teaches yoga — her doctorate was about the relationship between Indian classical dance and yoga. Amidst all this, she also finds time to choreograph dance items and ballets, teach students of both dance forms, and pursue research.
Her dance classes began when her parents admitted her in Hyderabad's Kuchipudi Art Academy, founded by legendary guru Vempati Chinna Satyam, when she was six years old. "My parents tell me that I was clamouring to learn dance even as a child. Apparently, at age three, I had announced my decision to be a dancer when I grew up!" It was a tough grind for the next 14 years in Kuchipudi under Sobha Naidu.
"After that, I did my masters in dance from the University of Hyderabad and this broadened my horizons greatly, as it involved much exposure to other dance forms and performers." Yashoda earned a gold medal in MA. Impelled by an inner urge, she resolved to do her PhD in 'The Interrelationship between Yoga and Indian Classical Dance with Special Emphasis on Kuchipudi' from the same university.
This was a natural choice considering she was already practising yoga to combat minor but nagging health problems. Also, she came from a very fitness-conscious family with her father being a tennis player. And she grew up playing vigorous games with two sisters, ranked No I and 2 respectively in AP tennis, and with first-cousin Mahesh Bhupathi and his sister Kavitha.
Yoga and dance
"Indian classical dance itself is yoga. But the practice has to be right. It has to be practiced and performed with right techniques and awareness of one's body dynamics. Or it will be counterproductive." She strongly recommends yoga for all dancers as it "prepares the body for dance, prolongs one's dancing career and minimises the risk of injuries. Personally, it has helped me immensely in all aspects, including the building of clarity and focus in my art."
During her doctoral research, she uncovered fascinating aspects of the association between dance and fitness. "The courtesans of olden days followed a strict regimen of study, rumination and physical exercises. For example, they would perform saamu, an exercise wherein they tied a rope to the big toe, and lying down, turned the leg around in a 360 degree circle adjusting the rope length to increase the flexibility of the hip joint."
Yashoda set up her own institute, Rinda Saranya Kuchipudi Dance Academy, in 1997. For two years, she was Guest Faculty, Department of Dance, University of Hyderabad. Currently, she is Guest Faculty for Yoga Theory and Practice at the same university's Study India Program wherein students come from abroad to earn credits from various courses, including hers.
Dance traditions
Vilasini dance happened later in her career. Vilasini Natyam is a lasya-rich, abhinaya-oriented, classical dance form with intricate footwork and unique dynamics of music, movement and emotional expression. It was the female-centric song and dance tradition of the kalavantulu or hereditary temple dancers of Telugu-speaking areas, but is now recognised as a major Indian dance tradition and performed at leading Indian dance festivals.
Around the 1980s, two eminent dance personalities, Dr Nataraja Ramakrishna and Swapnasundari, had separately begun to revive the Andhra devadasi repertoire — later named Vilasini Natyam by litterateur Dr Arudra.
At a seminar, Yashoda saw Swapnasundari's guru Maddula Lakshminarayana perform a small piece from this genre. And she was completely smitten. "It was exquisitely graceful and beautiful. I wanted to learn it too." Later, she saw Swapnasundari herself perform this genre with aplomb and it strengthened her resolve.
"However, it took several requests to Swapnakka and a long wait before she accepted me as a student. I began eight years ago and am still learning. Swapnakka is a perfectionist, so it means a rigorous training schedule."
Yashoda has performed at various prestigious platforms like Kalidas Samaroh, Konark Festival, Mamallapuram Festival, Mudra Festival, etc, and abroad. However, she has turned down several film offers, saying: "I want to focus on dance where I am still a student." In 2008, she submitted a research paper on the 'Temple Songs of Andhra Temple Dancers' to Central Sangeet Natak Akademi. She has transcribed one Parijatham libretto of the temple dancers. Currently, she is researching javalis, padams and textual traditions of dance. She is also learning Carnatic music.
But then the performance was of an art considered an exotic dance form, and the performer was the talented and graceful Yashoda Thakore.
Trained in Kuchipudi for 14 years under renowned dancer-choreographer Sobha Naidu, and then Vilasini Natyam under iconic dancer Swapnasundari, Yashoda performs both to critical appreciation. She also teaches yoga — her doctorate was about the relationship between Indian classical dance and yoga. Amidst all this, she also finds time to choreograph dance items and ballets, teach students of both dance forms, and pursue research.
Her dance classes began when her parents admitted her in Hyderabad's Kuchipudi Art Academy, founded by legendary guru Vempati Chinna Satyam, when she was six years old. "My parents tell me that I was clamouring to learn dance even as a child. Apparently, at age three, I had announced my decision to be a dancer when I grew up!" It was a tough grind for the next 14 years in Kuchipudi under Sobha Naidu.
"After that, I did my masters in dance from the University of Hyderabad and this broadened my horizons greatly, as it involved much exposure to other dance forms and performers." Yashoda earned a gold medal in MA. Impelled by an inner urge, she resolved to do her PhD in 'The Interrelationship between Yoga and Indian Classical Dance with Special Emphasis on Kuchipudi' from the same university.
This was a natural choice considering she was already practising yoga to combat minor but nagging health problems. Also, she came from a very fitness-conscious family with her father being a tennis player. And she grew up playing vigorous games with two sisters, ranked No I and 2 respectively in AP tennis, and with first-cousin Mahesh Bhupathi and his sister Kavitha.
Yoga and dance
"Indian classical dance itself is yoga. But the practice has to be right. It has to be practiced and performed with right techniques and awareness of one's body dynamics. Or it will be counterproductive." She strongly recommends yoga for all dancers as it "prepares the body for dance, prolongs one's dancing career and minimises the risk of injuries. Personally, it has helped me immensely in all aspects, including the building of clarity and focus in my art."
During her doctoral research, she uncovered fascinating aspects of the association between dance and fitness. "The courtesans of olden days followed a strict regimen of study, rumination and physical exercises. For example, they would perform saamu, an exercise wherein they tied a rope to the big toe, and lying down, turned the leg around in a 360 degree circle adjusting the rope length to increase the flexibility of the hip joint."
Yashoda set up her own institute, Rinda Saranya Kuchipudi Dance Academy, in 1997. For two years, she was Guest Faculty, Department of Dance, University of Hyderabad. Currently, she is Guest Faculty for Yoga Theory and Practice at the same university's Study India Program wherein students come from abroad to earn credits from various courses, including hers.
Dance traditions
Vilasini dance happened later in her career. Vilasini Natyam is a lasya-rich, abhinaya-oriented, classical dance form with intricate footwork and unique dynamics of music, movement and emotional expression. It was the female-centric song and dance tradition of the kalavantulu or hereditary temple dancers of Telugu-speaking areas, but is now recognised as a major Indian dance tradition and performed at leading Indian dance festivals.
Around the 1980s, two eminent dance personalities, Dr Nataraja Ramakrishna and Swapnasundari, had separately begun to revive the Andhra devadasi repertoire — later named Vilasini Natyam by litterateur Dr Arudra.
At a seminar, Yashoda saw Swapnasundari's guru Maddula Lakshminarayana perform a small piece from this genre. And she was completely smitten. "It was exquisitely graceful and beautiful. I wanted to learn it too." Later, she saw Swapnasundari herself perform this genre with aplomb and it strengthened her resolve.
"However, it took several requests to Swapnakka and a long wait before she accepted me as a student. I began eight years ago and am still learning. Swapnakka is a perfectionist, so it means a rigorous training schedule."
Yashoda has performed at various prestigious platforms like Kalidas Samaroh, Konark Festival, Mamallapuram Festival, Mudra Festival, etc, and abroad. However, she has turned down several film offers, saying: "I want to focus on dance where I am still a student." In 2008, she submitted a research paper on the 'Temple Songs of Andhra Temple Dancers' to Central Sangeet Natak Akademi. She has transcribed one Parijatham libretto of the temple dancers. Currently, she is researching javalis, padams and textual traditions of dance. She is also learning Carnatic music.