HYDERABAD: For students of Sri Rama Nataka Niketan,
VS Ramamoorthy is not just their guru but the epitome of classical dance and inspiration. He turned 98 last week and still continues to pursue his passion - dance. He is a living example who proves that age is no deterrent if you are determined to follow your passion. Even at the age of 98, he teaches dance to young students at his academy. "Everyone doesn't get everything in life. So, when you have got it, make the most of it," Ramamoorthy said.
A gifted Bharatnatyam artiste, Sri Ramamoorthy was born on September 20, 1920, in Budalur taluk of Tanjore district in Tamil Nadu. A qualified engineer, he started learning dance at the age of 22 and perfected his dancing skills under the renowned tutelage of Bharatnatayam guru late Padamsri KN Dandayudha Pani Pillai.
"He is so attached and passionate about dance, it looks like he lives dance. He teaches us 'Abhinayam', which means facial expressions. The way he demonstrates an expression is unparalleled," says Jagavattula Maheshwari, his student from past 10 years.
In 1969, he moved to
Secunderabad and made the city his home. In 1970, he founded Sri Rama Nataka Niketan, which is known as one of the purest institutes of classical dance and which has given many trained Bharatnatyam artistes.
He rose to popularity after he played the female lead of Sivakami in dance drama titled 'Sivakamiyin Sapatham' and was known as Sivakami Ramamoorthy. "Being an ardent admirer of Sri Ramamoorthy, I always had a desire to document his passion towards his art form. Throughout his life, he never yearned for recognition, but his philosophy has been to keep learning as you grow," says his daughter Manjula Ramaswamy, who is the caretaker of the academy and also teaches classical dance.
He has been conferred upon various titles like Natya Kala Tapasvi, Nritya Kala Sagara and Natya Sudhakar.
Dance guru VS Ramamoorthy with governor ESL Narasimhan.
