Divine dance had audience in trance
Age has not withered her nor, as the bard of Avon said, has custom rendered stale her infinite variety.
The auspicious occasion of the Ramanuja millennium has been celebrated at various grand venues in the last 12 months. Our devotion and scholarship had been reflected in the reverberations of the honouring of the saint who taught us our ways.
Vyjayanthimala’s dance at a prominent city venue recently did more to expound on our cultural influence of dance by an artiste who, as a heroine, had in the past graced the world of cinema as well. Her dance helped explain the teachings of the sage, even as bhakti and humanity merged in one in her Andal’s pasurams in which she emoted so well on the teachings of the preceptor.
The outpourings of a young girl of long ago with love and devotion found its echoes in the dance of the veteran who performed with sublime, sacred passion. Her style and rendition enhanced her art form. The dedicated danseuse, who is into her 80s now, held the audience in a trance.
Age has not withered her nor, as the bard of Avon said, has custom rendered stale her infinite variety. Vijayanthimala’s grasp and erudition of the art of dance portrayed with great ease the trait of devotion, the mainstay of religion and worship. The bold performance containing the eternal message of surrender rang out even as it made the people sit up in wonder.
(The author is a former DGP of Tamil Nadu)