‘ I am open to new experiences’

KOCHI:An artist par excellence, Pujita Krishna engages in diverse fields of art such as journalism, community work and teaching, apart from dance. She is one of the very few dancers in the country who performs vilasininatyam, the old temple dance tradition of  Telugu speaking Devadasis known as Kalavantulu. At present, there are about eight dancers who perform vilasininatyam.

Pujita is the founder and the artistic director of ‘Feet on Earth’. Her thesis “Revival of vilasininatyam at Ranganathaswamy Temple, Hyderabad” has been published by ProQuest, University of Michigan. She familiarises us about the unique temple tradition that has now become an endangered art.

How did you get introduced to vilasininatyam?
I happened to witness a performance by the very famous dancer Swapnasundari in 2005 at Ranganathaswamy temple. There, dance is offered as a ritual to God. I was with my guru Anupama Kylash then. I was wonderstruck by seeing the abhinaya. I was amazed by her improvisations and the artistic license offered by this art form which inspired me to learn vilasininatyam from the maestro herself.  

As a versatile artist who performs both kuchipudi and vilasininatyam, can you point out the similarities and differences between the two art forms?
To an untrained eye, both these dance forms may look similar. As far as the technique is concerned, kuchipudi follows the natya style, while abhinaya is the focus of vilasininatyam. Even though aramandi is the basic stance in both the dance forms, the dance movements are quick and masculine in kuchipudi while they are soft and feminine in vilasininatyam. In kuchipudi, the dancers use temple jewellery, whereas, in vilasininatyam, they use gold or gold-plated jewels.

This is an era of fusion dance and jugalbandis. What is your personal take on such a trend?
I am cautious with fusion because unless it is done intelligently, it can be a bad product. So, it has to be done with a lot of thought. Any form of fusion will make sense if you have something new, genuine and innovative to present musically or through dance or through any other art form. If you want to do it just because you want to come up with something new, then it is ridiculous.

What is your personal philosophy towards art in general?
My personal philosophy is the more you expose yourself to different flavours of art, the more enriched you become as an artist and human being. Different experiences open up different thoughts, ideas and perspectives. I am open to new experiences and even today, if I get a chance to learn something new, I will embrace it wholeheartedly. Hopefully, my learning has added more value to me as a human being and also influenced my artistic perception.

Can you tell about the vision behind ‘Feet on Earth’? What are your activities there and why did you name it so?
It is a small studio I have set up in Secunderabad, where I live. For me, the name ‘Feet on Earth’ symbolises the rapport the dancer has with the earth. See, the first thing we do as a dancer is to touch and take blessings from the mother earth. The relationship we have towards earth is ecological, physical, emotional and spiritual. Any art or aspect that cherishes and celebrates these relationships is most welcome.

What advice can you offer to aspiring dancers who wish to take dance as a profession?
As a profession, my personal advice will be to not have high expectations. Dance is very exhausting. Unlike other arts, to perform dance, you need to have a lot of physical energy. So, physical fitness, stamina, right mental frame as well as emotional frame are necessary for a dancer. Dance is a composite of physical movement, music and drama. If you wish to be a professional in it, you will have to give the kind of dedication it needs and also put in the regular dose of vigorous practice.