Padmini Ravi, a journey in dance for over 4 decades. An exponent of the ancient craft of Bharatanatyam in Bangalore, a performer and teacher, reveals a new dimension to dance. The past years of international travel and exposure brings a new approach to dance. Following her initial success in the classical arts, Padmini went on to explore the allied art forms such as theatre, folk forms, classical music, and cinematography. Padmini has trained over 500 students internationally. Being the recipient of the Sangeetha Nritya Academy Award as well as the State Rajyotsava Award for her contribution to the field of dance Padmini’s name is synonymous with innovation, integrity and quality.
She received a grant by the Ford Foundation to produce a feature film “Shringaraâ€, the first of its kind in a classical arts-related film. This film project was a beginning of yet another convergence of the media and the arts that could lead to the generation of new energies and ideas in the world of arts and culture.
You have had the honor of learning from a legendary dancer K.J Sarasa who comes from the Devadasi Tradition. What was that experience like?
I was a little girl when I started to learn dance. Hence I did not understand much about the Devadasi tradition. What I think I learned most from my teacher was her free spirit in dance. That time period when I was learning was a very liberated time in dance when dancers from Bollywood and classical forms interacted a lot. Sarasa was a very strict teacher but she was not at all judgemental. Dance to her was joy and I got that from her. In the mid 80s and the 90s, classical dance became very elitist and boundaries got defined very narrowly. This made it difficult for the common person to relate. I am delighted I learned from a teacher who was free spirited.
You have expressed strongly the importance of breaking the boundaries of movement in dance. So are there in your mind wrong moves that should be avoided?
I do not think there are wrong moves. A move should be chosen because it makes artistic sense. Lack of knowledge makes dancers limit their moves. The Margi tradition has a huge repertoire which is mostly unknown to most. Padma Subramanium has give a glimpse of this through her work. If we limit ourselves due to lack of knowledge, dance becomes boring and repetitive. This makes it uninteresting for the audience.
It is of course very clear that the goal of Bharatanatyam is not just to entertain but to bring about a spiritual experience for the dancer bringing about a meditative state connecting the body and the mind. That distinguishes it from a dance that may be purely for the purpose of entertainment.
What has been the most glorious moments of your journey through dance?
Two decades ago, I was a very egostical dancer. I was very good at executing the form. At that time it was all about me. Lot of recognition came my way. People liked my performance. However there was a restless energy within me which was not feeling happy. I was doing so many things, theater movies and more. Then suddenly a moment came when dance became not about me. It became sans ego. That was a glorious moment for me. I now experience the joy of dance like never before. I am happy to share my knowledge. It is no longer about performance or awards. For about 10 years now my journey has turned inward and that is a true joy.
What motivated to make films?
Sarasa always had a lot of film personalities around her. Dancers like Kamalahasan and Srividya were her students. Leading directors and choreographers were always around. I also am a huge movie buff.
I guess due to all of these influences I really wanted to make a movie. The leading scholars of Natya Shastra believe the Indian films come closest to the technique outlined in the Natya Shastra.
When the Ford Foundation project fell into my lap I was delighted. I was also working with great people including Saroj Khan and Lalgudi Jayaraman. Viewing dance through a camera helped me think about choreography in new ways.
I have done almost everything except write a script. It is my desire to someday write a script and work on a film.
Could you share what motivated you to create Samprati?
During the past 30 years I kept exploring other forms of dance including Jazz and Folk. I was feeling dissatisfied and felt I did not have enough to offer for entertainment. I started exploring the Natya Shastra and realized that all the movements were in there. Thus I realized that form is something that is timeless and universal. That led to the idea of Samprati or timelessness. Shringaram and Bhakti are two important elements of our philosophy and Samprati brings that out.
We have great music and good choreography. The first half is a romantic experience and the second Bhakti.I hope audience will enjoy the new ideas of choreography.
What is the greatest thing that learning classical dance can teach people?
Classical dance has the ability to calm your mind and bring it to focus. Of course it is an athletic effort. However it trains not just the body but also the mind. Expression of emotions is a critical part of classical dance and to have that training is very beneficial.
What advice do you have for dancers in the US ?
Learn dance like you learn tennis or another sport - for the sheer joy of it. Do not look at the performance aspect as much as the learning. It brings great benefit to your soul. Teaching of dance should be done only after a long period of study. Nowadays anyone starts teaching after learning dance for five years. I am not a big fan of that.
Here is a video interview with local teachers who are part of Samprati
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