Enter state of meditation with dance: Lakshmi Gopalaswamy

BENGALURU: Renowned dancer and actress Lakshmi Gopalaswamy says though she has done a few fusion performances with bands in Abu Dabi, she finds deep satisfaction only in the pure form of Bharatnatyam.

“You cannot substitute a pure classical concert by a great musician with a great fusion band. The purpose of both the performances are different and I don’t personally find deep satisfaction in fusion,” she says, adding, “It’s like viewing the Himalayan ranges. Once you have seen the Himalayas, you cannot compare it with other hillocks even though they are really beautiful. Classical art is like that.”
Her love for classical dance is evident with the way she speaks. “For me, dance provides a space where I enter a state of meditation. It provides peace of mind. I look to dwell into that space beyond everything else. I try to translate that to my audience and evoke the same feelings in them.”

Lakshmi will be performing at Tharang Utsav on December 3. She says it is a challenge and also energising to perform for the art loving audience. “I am someone who is comfortable with the margam format of the dance. Though I have done a few research-based projects like the one on the Wodeyar family, I like doing varnam and padam. That’s my comfort zone,” she says. She will also be presenting a rare padam, which she claims Bengaluru would have never seen. When asked what her performance would be based on, she says that she wants it to be a surprise for audiences.   

The Tharang Utsav will be held on December 2 to 3 at JSS Auditorium, Banashankari. Organised by Tharang Academy of Arts, the festival will have dance and music performances by the upcoming, promising and established artistes. Aparna Vinod, director of the academy says, “This is the fifth edition of Tharang. Earlier, we had only margam format of Bharatnatyam. But this year, we have thematic performances and a Hindustani music concert.” A thematic presentation on the songs by the Kannada saints will be presented by B Bhanumati and Sheela Chandrashekhar. Bhanumati says, “These songs have messages for social reform. They talk about how you can improve society. One of the songs speaks of being treated the way you treat others.”