Sunday Celebrity: Balagurunathans emerging as Dhananjayans

Born into a family with nine generations of Sivachariars at Karaikal Ammaiyar Devasthanam, Balagurunathan grew up watching his father performing puja and mantra at the sanctum sanctorum. Of dance all he knew was not much; performing pooja was not after his heart, either.

As Balagurunathan grew up in the temple town of Karaikal which has been famous for its sadir, with devadasi parampara nurturing the fine arts by such notables as Sundarakamakshi (guru Indira Rajan's mother) and Natesa Nattuvanar (who worked with Rukmini Devi) attached to the temple, he was naturally drawn to this performing art.

As a child Bala was inspired by song-dance sequences such as ‘Tillana Mohanambal' and ‘Salangai Oli.' His father encouraged Bala to participate in Tamil plays staged at temple festivals, where the child played Krishna, himself painted blue, and dancing to film songs set to tune in a Carnatic raga. That’s all, the vibrations writhed into him, and he danced his way up.

Filled with ambition to master the art, Bala began to learn dancing from guru Krishnammal.

There was no money to pay for private tuitions so he would hold the umbrella for his teacher as she went from class to class in the homes of wealthy landowners. He picked up whatever she taught there - tattadavu or ‘Natanam Adinar' and ‘Sakhiye,' varnam.”

The young dancer had his arangetram performed when he was 17, where he was praised and hailed by one and all, and many promised a bright future if he moved to Chennai. That is all dream-filled Bala landed in Chennai. Recognising his talent, Guru Nandini Ramani paid his first term fees at Kalakshetra where Principal Rajaram bent rules to get the boy in, though admission was closed.

Talking about Kalakshetra Bala said it opened to him a new world of technique, discipline and aesthetics. “I realised that presentation was crucial, especially for a male dancer. I admired all my teachers – especially A. Janardhanan, Balagopal and P.T. Narendran. Guru V.P. Dhananjayan and what he had established at Bharata Kalanjali awed me. The way these artists conducted themselves on the stage was so different from what I'd seen until then. They defined the dignity and range of a male dancer.” He tried to emulate them when cast as Rama and Lakshmana in his alma mater's famous Ramayana series.

Here he met the daughter of veteran dance artiste Krishnaveni Lakshmanan, the principal of music college, his dancing colleague Gayathiri who was later to become his dancing partner and life partner. Krishnaveni wholeheartedly supported Bala’s dancing, encouraged his talents and gave him roles in her productions, but opposed the jobless boy's marriage to her daughter. But they were in love already!

Guru C.V. Chandrasekhar’s reference helped Bala join Mirulani Sarabhai (wife of top scientist Vikram Sarabhai) and Mallika Sarabhai, the mother-daughter duo’s Darpana, Ahmedabad, to teach and perform nattuvangam. That was for three years from 1998 to 2001.

‘Gayathri mandiram’

But there it was contemporary dance circuit. How did a Kalakshetra dancer think of joining them who were into modern mix, Bala was asked as this writer of Asian Tribune met them at a common friend’s house—a leading producer Nadaraajah at Chittaranjan Avenue. “Because I wanted to marry Gayatri!” said Bala, whose target then seemed to be Gayatri and Gayatri only. Was it Gayathri manthiram, he was chanting? Could be.

In the new workplace, the young teacher with no one to teach or correct had to depend on his own thought processes in creativity. “I used every little opportunity to the utmost.”
Bala proved himself to win the hand of Gayathiri. Their marriage materialized in 1999.

Gayatri had total trust in her husband; Balagurunathan was determined that his wife's talent as a dance artist must be nourished and promoted.

They are a “made for each other couple.” That harmony between them, I could foresee as a rhythm it could work in their dance performance. I agreed to watch today their performance at the Narada Gana Sabha, I hope by which time this write-up would have been published in the Web daily.

This up and coming dancing couple wants to be like the Dhananjayans, the top dancing husband and wife who are trotting round the globe with big name and fame. Like their Bhrata Kalanjali, Bala and Gayatri also wanted to establish their performing school. And they did have it started under the name and style Krishnanjali Performing Group, which is doing well, going round the globe.

Kalakshetra opened a new world of technique, discipline and aesthetics. The boy realised that presentation was crucial, especially for a male dancer. “I admired all my teachers – especially A. Janardhanan, Balagopal and P.T. Narendran. Guru V.P. Dhananjayan and what he had established at Bharata Kalanjali awed me. The way these artists conducted themselves on the stage was so different from what I'd seen until then. They defined the dignity and range of a male dancer.” The boy tried to emulate them when cast as Rama and Lakshmana in his alma mater's famous Ramayana series.

Stint in Singapore

In between Bala got an opportunity to be in Singapore for nine years as senior dance lecturer with the Singapore’s Indian Fine Art Society which was established in 1936. This saw Bala conducting 15 arangetrams, with new items composed specifically for the dancer and the occasion. He developed an all rounder's skills when he choreographed five dance dramas.

He trained several Tamils settled abroad. “Most of my students happened to be children of Sri Lankan Tamils. They give more importance to fine arts and music. Away from homeland, it is they who want their children rooted in the culture of the Tamils,” Balagurunathan says.

“I have graduated myself with practical experience. Now I am at my aspirations, goals,” says Balagurunathan who hopes to explore possibilities in solo-duo performances and dance dramas.

“I have been dancing there (Singapore) and here with Gayatri. Now I want to create new work based on my strengths – knowledge of the puranas, Tamil, good music – without deviating from the Kalakshetra bani,” says Balagurunathan who also wants to highlight his acting ability and vachika abhinaya in both solo and dance drama. “I'd like to focus on less known characters in our mythology and widen the spectrum of action and feeling.”

The couple's sixth dance drama ‘Anjaneya Vira' staged in Chennai under their Krishnanjali Trust to promote what they believe in “providing space for male dancers, and paying them too!”

They say when Gayatri dances, she dances into the heart. Shades of the late Krishnaveni Lakshmanan (her mother) are more than evident in daughter Gayatri Balagurunathan’s Bharatanatyam. Gayatri’s expressional abilities with highly communicative netrabhinaya, make her a dancer par excellence. She has imbibed the good look and dancing from her mother, the great Nirtya Choodamani of Kalakshetra.

Gayatri began her learning under tutelage oof renowned teachers like Sharada Hoffmann and N S Jayalakshmi and her arangetram was under her mother Guru Krishnaveni. She has come a long way in her career. She has wide knowledge of in theory of Bharatanatyam and folk dances of India. She has had basic training in Kalari Payatti (Martial arts of Kerala) and Mohini attam.

Gayatri has done themaktic shows on drug abuse, HIV/AIDS awareness that won her state awards. Sshe is known for her creativity in choreography that is within the boundaries of the aesthetic natyam as tgaught lto her by her teachers.

Gayatri is a lecturer at the Kumararani Meena Muthiah College of fine arts.

They have twin daughters Mayura and Hamsa both are getting trained as dancers too. The father, mother and twin daughters jointly dance too.

The dancing duo have given performances in many states of America, Tailand, Mauritious, South Africa and of course Singapore. The more memorable event for them was having given performance for Bill Clinton at Rashtrapathi Bhawan in New Delhi in 2001 when A.B. Vajpayee was Prime Minister, and last year at the APEC meet in Singapore of the All Presidents of the world, in which Obama was also present.

Gallery – Click on picture to zoom.

- Asian Tribune -