Dancer Lakshmi Vishwanathan passes away at 80

CHENNAI: The art world on Thursday lost its 'poetic dancer'. Lakshmi Vishwanathan, a celebrated exponent of Bharatanatyam's Thanjavur bani, passed away following a brief chest congestion, barely a few days after her 80th birthday.
The veteran artist's passing comes as a shock for the music and dance fraternity, as she was seen extensively participating in various events including seminars, dance performances and talks this Margazhi, and had returned after attending a cultural festival in Bhopal less than a week ago, according to her sister, Sujaya Menon.
"She left fans and audiences with their hearts full this season, and we want to celebrate her for this and everything more," Sujaya told TOI over phone.
Lakshmi's career in dance, spanning more than five decades, was blessed and guided by her guru Kanjeevaram Elappa Pillai, an exponent of the Thanjavur style of Bharatanatyam. She authored several books - 'Bharatanatyam - the Tamil Heritage', 'Kunjamma - Ode to a Nightingale', 'Women of Pride -The Devadasi Heritage' and another one that was underway, in collaboration with dance researcher Jeetender Hirschfield.
"We were studying the history, art, dance and music of Thanjavur, which was to release as a book later this year," says Jeetender. "I've been following her for the last four decades and in the last six years of collaborating, we had become friends, when I saw the fun and witty side to her."
Lakshmi - also a trained singer - was a recipient of numerous awards, including the Tamil Nadu State Kalaimamani, National Sangeet Natak Akademi award and The Music Academy's Nritya Kalanidhi award.
"She wasn't just an incredible artist, but in a world where there is such fear of expressing oneself honestly, she held firm beliefs, had a straightforward way of speaking, a cutting tongue and a great, sparkling wit," said Anita Ratnam. "She was also one of those who learned from traditional gurus and shared her experiences."
Senior artist Chitra Visweswaran, who on December 25 had shared the stage with Lakshmi at Kalakshetra along with Padma Subrahmanyam and Sudharani Raghupathy, recalled how during the entire season, she exuded joy and excitement, leaving rasikas and artists with memorable moments.
"I always found her inspiring as a dancer and a brilliant writer. She was gifted at effortlessly making people laugh. Although she left us suddenly, she left peacefully, and everyone who knew her would only want to celebrate her life," said Chitra.
Lakshmi is survived by her sisters Sujaya and Charumathi, brother-in-law Ramachandran, and nieces and nephews. Last rites will be held at her Kalakshetra residence at 10.30am on Friday.