RE : INTERVIEW WITH YOGACHARYA DR. ANANDA BALAYOGI BHAVANANI ON SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BHARATA NATYAM RENDITION OF THYAGARAJA PANCHARATHNA

[Guest guest]

Wow !!!

 

I would have loved to see the performance ... do think

about one day maybe making a little Bharata Natyam

DVD, " to give suppreme happiness to the whole

universe " ;-) !!!

 

And I found your interview really inspiring !!! Thank

you !!!

 

I am already very much looking forward to be back in

Pondichery !!!

 

Plenty of good energies to all of you and my

congratulations to everybody for the dance !!!

 

 

Christoph

 

PS : The DVD with the Yognat clip is on its way ...

 

 

 

 

 

--- " Yogacharya Dr.Ananda Bhavanani "

<yognat2001 a écrit :

 

> INTERVIEW WITH YOGACHARYA DR. ANANDA BALAYOGI

> BHAVANANI ON SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BHARATA NATYAM

> RENDITION OF THYAGARAJA PANCHARATHNA

>

> 1. Q. It is rare to hear of anyone choreographing

> a Thyagaraja Pancharathna to a Bharat Natyam format!

> His music is almost pure devotion. Why did you

> choose such a difficult task!

> I have been enamored by the Gana Raga Pancharathna

> of Saint Thiagaraja for many years as they represent

> the pinnacle of his thousands of compositions. The

> smoothness of the music and the lyrics flow together

> hand in hand. The rhythmic combinations and

> permutations present in the Pancharathna surpass any

> other musical compositions. Naturally with my

> musical and rhythmic training as a background there

> was a deep desire that choreography of Bharata

> Natyam be done for at least one of the five

> Pancharathna. It is my blessings to be able to do

> this because of the gifts given to me by Swamiji,

> Amma and the affectionate support of my mentor

> Padmashri Adyar K Lakshmanan who happily spurred me

> on with this project.

>

> 2. Q. The Thyagaraja Krithi received tremendous

> acclaim from all sides. The amazing formations, the

> intricate footwork, the precision arrangement of 18

> dancers in almost a military – like accuracy

> received all round applause. What was your own

> feeling after the presentation? Did you feel

> satisfied?

> We are evolving every day, indeed every second and

> therefore satisfaction is not always possible. I can

> always see the improvements that can be done right

> after as well as during every performance. However

> in this case I must say that a sense of personal

> satisfaction is really there for the children did a

> wonderful job. You can create the best of

> compositions, but the performance is ultimately in

> their hands! Hats off to them for a great job! I am

> really proud of them. More than the final

> performance I was pleased with the interest they

> showed in learning this item despite it not being in

> their native tongue of Tamil. It was also a joy to

> see the reaction of the audience for this effort as

> it was out of the usual pattern of stuff.

>

> 3. Q. What special difficulty did you face in

> choreographing this item?

> The main difficulty was in incorporating Sancharis

> or minor deviations and elaborations because of the

> speed of the musical composition. The words flow so

> well together that you cannot really split them at

> any point and so finding ways to do so was a

> challenge. However the main challenge was getting

> the dancers and musicians together for practice as

> our children nowadays are busier in school and

> tuitions than even the highest of corporate MDs!!

> Where is the time for them to enjoy their childhood

> or learn their culture?

>

> 4. Q. What points did your feel were the most

> successfully presented?

> I feel that the meanings of the lyrics were well

> expressed and there was a near perfect

> synchronization between music and dance rhythm at

> every twist and turn of phrase. I feel that a sense

> of Bhakti for the Divine as envisioned by Saint

> Thiagaraja was brought out successfully. It was also

> heartening when a dancer who has danced more than a

> decade said that she had felt the maximum happiness

> ever in her dancing career whilst performing this

> piece. It is indeed a happy coincidence and great

> compliment for the song is Jagadanandkaraka (Jagat +

> Ananda+ Karaka) meaning the one who gives supreme

> happiness to the entire universe!

>

> 5. Q. How did your training as an Mridungist and

> Carnatic vocalist as well as in Bharat Natyam dancer

> help you accomplishing this task?

> Being blessed with the three arts of music, dance

> and Mridungam I was able to understand the

> composition at three levels and try to unify all

> three. The intricate patterns of the music were well

> understood and therefore the footwork matched the

> music to near perfection. (If we were perfect, we

> would not need to be here anymore would we?) It is

> also much easier to compose when you can sing and

> play for you need not depend on others for it. When

> I did my Mridungam Arangetram in 1987, Lakshmanan

> sir blessed me by saying that as I had all the three

> arts in me, I would be a fitting disciple to him.

> Similarly his compliments and blessing to me during

> Padma Prashanthini’s Arangetram in Chennai were a

> tremendous boost to my morale and self confidence.

> When you have such mentors, and the proud privilege

> to be the son and disciple of great parents it is

> easy to forget your God given gifts at times but

> luckily for me I have been able to imbibe them

> internally and so the process of

> composing this piece was done with a sense of

> natural ease rather than hard work.

>

> 6. Q. What was the greatest challenge in a few

> words?

> Getting everyone together as well as the usual

> initial inert Tamas that engulfs us at times.

>

> 7. Q. What was the greatest satisfaction in a few

> words?

> The happiness on everyone’s face at the end of the

> performance as it meant that we had achieved the

> goal of Anandam for all (Jagat - Ananda).

>

> 8. Q. Do you think that the average person in the

> audience was able to grasp the essence of the item?

> Yes. Even if they didn’t know the words or the

> Mudras they were swept up in the spirit of the

> composition and were one with us.

>

> 9. Q. The Motto of your Institute Yoganjali

> Natyalayam is “Spiritual Perfection through Yoga and

> the Carnatic Arts”. What spiritual purpose does

> presentation of such an item have?

> It gives us all a sense of Aishwariya or positive

> self esteem that is essential for spiritual growth.

> It imbibes in us a sense of Bhakti as envisioned by

> the great seers like Thiagaraja. It produces

> happiness of the spirit with joyful abandon. Thus we

> are brought a bit closer to the Divine for at least

> a moment in eternity.

>

> 10. Q. Do you think that higher purpose was

> grasped by the audience?

> Because of Amma’s unique presentation of the

> lyrics with meaning as well as a brief introduction

> to Thiagaraja in the invitation itself the audience

> was given the tools with which they could appreciate

> the higher purpose. The near flawless performance by

> the children and musicians added to that experience.

> After that it is upto the individual whether they

> drink of the celestial ambrosia or not!

>

> 11. Q. Yoganjali Natyalayam is famous for its

> originality. Your Institute never seems to do the

> same things twice! What in your opinion was the most

> unique feature of the item?

> It is unique as it was the first time that anyone

> in Pondicherry had done dance choreography for a

> Thiagaraja Pancharathna. The union between the

> musical composition and the rhythm of the dancers

> was the highlight as well as getting 18 young

> dancers to dance together in three groups where they

> didn’t bat an eyelid while exchanging places at

> third and forth speed. Intricate footwork done with

> ease was something to be seen to be believed.

> Remember these are non professional dancers who

> balance the load of school with their cultural

> activities.

>

> 12. Q. You have choreographed or assisted in

> choreographing at least fourteen full length dance

> dramas and more than thirty mini-dance dramas. How

> would your evaluate your Thyagaraja piece in

> relationship to your previous work?

> It is the best individual item that we

> have choreographed and presented to date! There was

> ample Bhava as well as Raga and Tala (Bhava + Raga +

> Tala = Bharata). I have never tried more intricate

> footwork than in this item and the children

> gleefully took up the challenge and made me proud.

> However the Pancha Maha Bhutas gives me most

> satisfaction as a dance drama though each and every

> one of productions is unique in its own way. I also

> liked the Muruga Muruga item that we did a few years

> ago where the Thiruppugazh of Saint Arunagirinathar

> and a Tamil song of Maha Kavi Bharathiar were

> combined to tell the stories of lord Muruga.

> Silappadikaram, the Tamil classic was another

> feather in the cap of Yognat and Amma for it was

> truly spectacular and brought to life the ancient

> Dravidian culture.

>

> 13. Q. As you mature as an artist and as a Yogi,

> your artistic presentations are becoming more and

> more radiant and sophisticated. Do you personally

> feel that you are growing in this work?

> Definitely yes. I sense an evolution in

> my choreography, compositions, music, writing as

> well as the methods of Yoga teaching. I am becoming

> more and more organized and that shows in the

> composition itself. A deep love for the cultural

> arts was seeded in me very early by Swamiji and Amma

> and I feel that the tree is growing well as string

> to blossom and fruit in a positive manner thus

> benefiting many including myself.

>

> 14. Q. You are a family man, a medical doctor, a

> researcher, an author, a teacher, a lecturer, a

> Carnatic vocalist, a Mridungist, a writer, a film

> maker as well as the head of a large world

> organization

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