Bharata natyam dancer Vidya Kotamraju yearns for connection at the Vancouver International Dance Festival
The local artist’s new work, Longing…, draws from ancient poetry
Vidya Kotamraju’s Longing… livestreams at the Vancouver International Dance Festival May 6 and 7 at 7 pm PDT and May 8 at 4 pm PDT. A live Q&A with the artist follows the May 7 performance.
WHILE VIDYA KOTAMRAJU was growing up in Goa, she was surrounded by dance and music. She fell in love with bharata natyam, a classical Indian dance form that encompasses art, philosophy, and culture. Kotamraju performed in India for several years before moving to Vancouver 17 years ago and has since delved even deeper into the artform, appearing everywhere from DiwaliFest to the Vancouver Cultural Olympiad. Over the years, the appeal of bharata natyam to her has changed.
“When I was younger, it was more about the joy of dancing,” Kotamraju tells Stir. “Now it’s more about connecting and sharing. What I love about this art form today is it helps me connect my mind, body, and soul as one.”
Oneness is a key theme in Longing…, a new work that Kotamraju will perform at the Vancouver International Dance Festival. Set to Indian music composed by artists in the U.K. and India, it is a collaboration with Toronto-based dancer and choreographer Nova Bhattacharya, the project’s outside eye. The two-part production explores romantic and spiritual yearning for love and companionship.
“It draws inspiration from both 12th- and 19th-century Indian poets,” Kotamraju says. “To me philosophically, it talks about these human conditions—to understand and to be understood. Isn’t that what we all long for in life?”
With a 2,000-year-old history, bharata natyam brings together movement, melody, classic poetry, mime, and philosophy through stories of yore. It fuses subtle, intricate body movements with vivid facial expressions to convey the kinds of deep, universal themes that Longing… evokes. “At the core of the art is an amalgamation of it all to create enchanting visuals for the audience,” Kotamraju says.
She has dedicated her life to honing her craft. A graduate of the Jai Govinda Dance Academy, she performed a public graduation solo known as arangetram, a major milestone for bharata natyam dancers following several years of training, at UBC’s Frederick Wood Theatre in 2007. She continues to train with Govinda and takes annual masterclasses with distinguished dancer Bragha Bessell, a guru, while serving on the boards of New Works and Mandala Arts and Culture. Kotamraju has performed for Mandala Arts and Culture, the Dance Centre's Silk Route Festival, and Diwali in BC (Shyama), among many other organizations.
Vidya Kotamraju. Photo by Ron Sangha
Govinda and Bessell each choreographed a piece for Longing…, in which Kotamraju wears the type of resplendent, boldly coloured costumes that Indian dance is known for. “For Longing…,” she says, “I have chosen the colours of love and longing.”
While we’re all longing for live performances to resume, Kotamraju says she’s thankful for opportunities such as her upcoming VIDF show.
“I am truly grateful and feel privileged to be able to perform during these trying times and am excited to do so through this new medium of expression,” she says. “On the one hand, it does feel a tad bit strange to be performing with no live audience, on the other hand, it is oddly liberating—just the art form and me.”
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