Classics from literature, folklore brought to life through dance drama

It’s been five decades since the Kalasamarpana Foundation, an academy for the propagation and promotion of fine arts, was launched in the city by the Narasimhacharis — the late Narasimhachari and Vasanthalakshmi Narasimhachari. The duo is well-known and highly respected performers, teachers and choreographers of the Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi styles of Indian classical dance. The Narasimhacharis have choreographed over 34 original dance dramas and thematic presentations that bring to life gems from literature, both classical and contemporary; themes of historical and social significance, popular folklore and eminent biographies.

“It cannot believe it has been 50 years since Kalasamarpana Foundation was started. Truly, these five decades have been fulfilling, richly productive and filled with learning and progress. At the same time, I feel that there is so much more to learn and so much to share. I feel blessed that along with our daughters Lavanya and Lasya, all our students have imbibed the true spirit of the art and are poised to take this legacy forward,” says Vasanthalakshmi, a professional dancer and acharya par excellence.

While there are many interesting moments that happened in the dancer’s life, she says that one incident will always remain close to her heart. “There have been many wonderful moments and each of these experiences has taught us many truths that have renewed our faith in the art time and again. But one incident remains etched in my mind. In 2000, we were asked to choreograph a dance drama with over 50 dancers all from different schools of dancing. We were faced with two formidable tasks. One was to break a sense of hierarchy and create an atmosphere of camaraderie. The second, perhaps more difficult task was to create a common idiom in nritta or the adavu technique for that performance. As always, my ever-resourceful husband had an ingenious solution up his sleeves! By varying the existing adavus in small ways, he managed to create a beautiful homogeneity that was unique and fresh. The 50 dancers rose up to the occasion and embraced this new vocabulary with enthusiasm and vigour. That was a powerful time when we, yet again, experienced the unifying power of art,” she reminisces.   

To celebrate the 50th year celebrations of the Kalasamarpana Foundation, a dance production titled Swarnaanjali will be held on August 4 at Narada Gana Sabha. Swarnaanjali is a 90-minute performance with excerpts from 34 productions of the Narasimhacharis presented by more than a 100 artistes. The event will also have a curated exhibit of rare photographs of the Narasimhacharis.