Dance from The River

Jean Renoir's movie 'The River' filmed in & around Bengal in the 1950s. This dance is in Bharatanatyam style by Srimati Radha, the niece of the world reknowned Smt Rukmini Devi Arundale, founder of the Kalakshetra Academy in Madras now Chennai.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Bharatanatyam
• Kalakshetra
• Rukmini Devi
• tripmonk0
• dance

[dancerganesh]

Is the nattuvannar Dandayudapani pillai? He composed music for The RIver.

[tripmonk0]

I think you may well be right. A very young Sri Pillai!!!

Nick

[raghu26]

The book is published by penguin books india. ISBN 9780670082643

[raghu26]

B's grandson's dance was a revelation to me since after I started enjoying kalakshetra style more. B's dance had its pro (abhinaya) and cons (adavus). His nattuvanar told me that for adavus no one can beat kalakshetra. Crores and Crores of thanks to RDA.

[tripmonk0]

Is there any footage of RDA's guru, Sri Minakshisundaram Pillai at all.

Also many thanks for the book reference. I'm in Varanasi at the moment but I know a good bookshop here who could get it.

Nick

[tripmonk0]

Exactly right again. We have to remember what state Dasi Attam was in when RDA saw it. It was due to her & E Krishna Iyer's main efforts that revived a dying art form. I saw Balasaraswati's grandson, Anniruddha Knight, dance at Kalakshetra a few years ago & was not happy at all. It was very sloppy in precision. Smt Shantha Dhananjayan told me this is how B used to dance, certainly regarding adavus.

Nick

[raghu26]

I would suggest you to read Leela Samson's recent book on RDA titled "Rukmini Devi: A Life". She has put to rest the "rift" of RDA and Balasaraswati. Moreover, I felt that all those who want to clear their myths or take a stand to read this book. Not because it was written by Leela Samson, but it has nothing but facts and one would understand the society of her times. Any person who wanted to save the art form would have done exactly what RDA had done. No one understands this anymore.

[tripmonk0]

Excellent POV. When one has been learning the dance THEN one can add various emotional contents according to one's own mind.

The point is...

Where does erotic love end & vulgarity begin?

What's the agreed on concensus?

Nick

[raghu26]

@tripmonk0

I think the present generation has lot of misconceptions about RDA. Sadly there is no one to clear the myths about her "sanitising" efforts. I have seen people who love to hate RDA. History is sadly not an important study in India when compared to politics. She had a different viewpoint on sringara which is being taken totally out of context and a virtual war is happening when some one talks about her works and style.

[dancerganesh]

It indeed is a young DPP! It's one of his brothers in mrudangam.