First Person

She began with Bharatanatyam, branched off to Kuchipudi, and is now trying to figure out the intricacies of Vilasini Natyam, that obscure an...

She began with Bharatanatyam, branched off to Kuchipudi, and is now trying to figure out the intricacies of Vilasini Natyam, that obscure and almost forgotten temple dance of Andhra Pradesh. For danseuse Swapnasundari, there8217;s nothing like a challenge to get her creative juices flowing.

It was difficult to revive an art form whose exponents 8212; the devdasis 8212; had retired to remote villages, neither missed nor lamented. That didn8217;t deter Swapnasundari. Guided by the scholar and historian, Arudra, she began her extensive tour of Andhra Pradesh in search of the devadasis. 8220;I wanted to revive ritual dancing that was part of the temple tradition, but was not reflected in day-to-day dance,8221; says the army kid who attended six schools but never went to college, as she relaxes in her well-appointed Chanakyapuri home.

Her search was successful, but she found the devdasis living in dismal conditions. Their profession banned, they had tur-ned to other means of making a living. Luckily for her, some of them had kept the tradition alive by teaching their daughters the dance. 8220;I wanted to adapt Vilasini Natyam for the stage, just like Rukmini Devi Arundale had adapted Bharatanatyam 60 years ago,8221; she says. 8220;I wanted to rejuvenate this obscure dance form8221;.

But how did she stumble upon this forgotten tradition? 8220;It was while researching the roots of Kuchipudi when I discovered that they were not rooted in the temple tradition, but in the dramatic tradition of Yakshagana,8221; the dancer explains. 8220;I realised then that there had to be a parallel temple tradition. This is how I stumbled upon Vilasini Natyam8221;.

Though she began in right earnest, she soon realised it was a tough task. It took her three months to break the ice, for the devdasis, having lived in the shadow of ridicule, were reluctant to speak. The failing memory of both the devdasis and the priests was like a jigsaw puzzle, but Swapnasundari pieced together the bits and resurrected the spirit of Vilasini Natyam.

Today, the graceful dance form, which critics describe as seductive8217; merely because of its feminine and languid movements, has its own place on the stage. New Delhi has even instituted scholarships for young dancers interested in pursuing Vilasini Natyam. But that8217;s the good side. Swapnasundari8217;s attempts to rejuvenate this dying art form received more than its share of backlash, with NGOs and social organisations lashing out at her for glorifying the ignominious tradition of the devdasis.

But Swapnasundari remains undeterred. 8220;I obviously do not sympathise with the corruption that seeped into this tradition,8221; she says in her defence. 8220;All I am trying to do is rejuvenate the art. Devdasi is not a generic term. It embraces a group specialising in temple dancing. And in exchange, the temple ensured their social and economic needs8221;.

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She does not deny that with time, temple service did become just another term to exploit the devdasis. But her argument is that we must fight corruption, and not tradition. Ironically, Swapnasundari8217;s home state, too, hasn8217;t responded favourably to her efforts 8212; her activities are slammed as interference. Her response is prompt: 8220;If their own cultural scene had not been fragmented, there wouldn8217;t have been any need for others8221;.

Meanwhile, she has no plans to return to the dance form she began her career with Bharatanatyam for the simple reason that it does not fire her enthusiasm anymore. But is there a future for Vilasini Natyam? 8220;The problem is how to market it without sacrificing its essential qualities,8221; she says. 8220;I do not want any pipeline production8221;.

It8217;s doubtful whether the new generation has the patience or the dedication needed to carry a tradition forward. 8220;Young people today are intelligent, but they are always looking for quick solutions and formula answers. They only end up wasting energy,8221; she says, hoping that the form she gave a new lease of life to, does not die a second death.