Bharata natyam great Rama Vaidyanathan shapes a new commission for Mandala Arts & Culture
The streamed Dance Centre performance animates the circles, squares, and triangles of ancient Indian philosophy
Mandala Arts & Culture and The Dance Centre stream Rama Vaidyanathan + Ensemble’s Sannidhanam – Sacred Spaces from November 8 at 6 pm to November 15 at 6 pm
BHARATA NATYAM STAR Rama Vaidyanathan was supposed to perform here with her daughter Dakshina in a presentation by Mandala Arts & Culture two years ago when the pandemic intervened and halted those plans. Now, the revered artist has created a filmed commission instead—one that she never could have brought here due to the costs: a group piece for eight dancers.
“For us to bring a group to Canada from India would be very onerous,” Mandala artistic director Jai Govinda explains to Stir. “So I jumped at it—and she was very excited too. She has followers all over the world, so the premiere is not only for Vancouver but also an international premiere—that’s very rare.”
Working together with the Dance Centre, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, Mandala is presenting Sannidhanam – Sacred Spaces, a piece that draws on the Indian concept of sacred geometry—a theme suited perfectly to the precise movement language of bharata natyam, Govinda says.
“The lines and patterns lend themselves well to explore geometry. With one body you can achieve that, but it’s even better with a group,” Govinda explains.
Vaidyanathan draws on ancient texts to explore the meaning of the square, the triangle, and the circle in Indian philosophy.
The square draws on the temple shape, its four angles or points also symbolizing the four directions, or Vedas. The triangle is imbued with multifold spiritual meaning—often as a symbol of fertility and female sensuality. The circle draws on the seasons, and ideas of sunrise and sunset—and it’s also central to the Hindu concept of the cyclical, infinite universe. “Even the bangles you wear are circles,” Govinda says.
“The way she presents the video is in three chapters, and before each there’s an explanation,” Govinda adds.
Check out the video trailer below for an idea of how vividly the geometric shapes can come to life through bharata natyam. Integrating overhead shots and a parade of jewel-toned costumes, Sannidhanam sends its dancers whirling in circles, reaching in the four directions, and convening in neat triangle formations.
It’s no overstatement to call Vaidyanathan one of the greatest bharata natyam practitioners of her generation. Training and creating work for more than 30 years, she’s performed around the globe and directs the Ganesa Natyalaya in New Delhi. Through her master classes and workshops, which have gone online during the pandemic, she’s influenced and inspired a new generation of bharata natyam dancers. Govinda came to know the artist decades ago, while he trained and performed in the art form in Delhi.
And so it is that Govinda comes full circle himself. And a geometry-themed show seems like a perfectly suited show for a company named for the mandala.
Circles, squares, and triangles, after all, have universal symbolism and associations that stretch far outside the realm of ancient Indian philosophy. In fact, they pervade every molecule of our existence, from crystals, shells, and galaxies to our very DNA.
“Look at the pyramids or the Oval Office; look at the shape of the Knights of the Round Table,” Govinda says. “Shapes have much more meaning that the shape itself.”
Related Articles
