After the evening’s performance at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Center, Shakti Dance Company founder and Bharata Natyam guru Viji Prakash took to the stage and articulated what I had been thinking all along. While the music and dance are richly rewarding for people well-versed in the compositional intricacies of classical Indian music and the kinetic language of Bharata Natyam, the novice aficionado can just as easily and fully be elevated, inspired and moved. The vernacular gives way to the universal, the senses become engaged in the music and costumes, and cultures comes together in a shared experience of beauty.

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The captivating Rama. Photo: Avinash Pasricha.

By way of an appetizer for the evening, the Company began with a small set of pieces that included a traditional element of a Bharata Natyam performance — the allaripu (“flowering bud”), which is a rhythmic piece that warms up the dancers and offers respects to Vishnu as well as the audience. No sooner had they set the mood with their customary exuberance and skill than they surrendered the stage to the evening's featured performer, Rama Vaidyanathan, who has been ranked among the foremost Bharata Natyam dancers by press in her native India. More telling, however, is the praise lavished on Ms. Vaidyanathan by the equally exceptional Viji Prakash and daughter Mythili Prakash, who spoke of inspiration and influence.

It’s easy to see why Rama Vaidyanathan, who has been dancing for twenty-five years and has performed across the world to great acclaim, commands such respect and awe; she is a superb dancer whose presence on the stage is the model of grace and enchantment. Her flawless rhythm and footwork; the expressivity of her face and eyes; the precision of her hand gestures and body movement; the symbiosis between her movements and the beautiful music composed by GS Rajan and exquisitely performed by a talented ensemble of musicians. All of these were entrancing aspects to a radiant performance on the theme of a young Krishna and his message of love. With a summary of the story she was about to tell through dance in a performance called Akhilam Madhuram – very helpful in matching gesture to character and story element – we were introduced to a young Krishna as he confronted the tyrant king Kamsa. We listened in on the boy Krishna as he bemoaned (more or less) the overzealous affections of the Gobis who enjoyed pinching his cheeks by the river a little too much. We, the audience, came to appreciate once again how Bharata Natyam is, ultimately, a joyful storytelling art filled with drama and passion.

To learn more about Rama Vaidyanathan, visit www.ramavaidyanathan.com. For information about the Shakti Dance Company, including upcoming performances, visit www.shaktidancecompany.com.

Mr. Sisa, Assistant Editor of the newspaper, may be contacted at fsisa@thefrontpageonline.com