All Indian classical art forms are ‘Sopana Padams’: Girija Kishore

Dance Journey: Recalling her dance journey, Girija says that she started learning dance after finishing her 16 years of formal education with Guru Sri Sanjeev Babu Garu who’s a product of Kuchipudi Academy, Chennai. “He runs a dance school named Sri Vempati Chinna Satyam Kuchipudi Nrithya Nikethan, on the name of Master garu. I finished my initial training under him. I was so enthusiastic about learning the art that in no time I came on par with students who were senior to me by six years. Then came my association with my teacher Smt. Usha Gayathri garu under whom I finished certificate course in Kuchipudi dance from Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University and successfully got through the entrance exams for Masters degree from UoH with distinction under the tutelage of Usha aunty,” says the Kuchipudi dancer.

Girija, who received the Natya Vidyadhari title from Saraswathi Temple, Basar, says that she began learning dance when she started her first job, which was coincidentally very close to the dance school. “Perhaps, due to my financial empowerment and the huge influence of director Sri K Vishwanath garu’s movies, ‘Swarnakamalam’ in particular, my urge to learn dance became irresistible and I set out to quench my earnest desire. The journey continued unceasingly,” she says. The Natya Vidyadhari states that though her mom loved dance and wanted to learn, but it didn’t materialise due to several reasons and limitations of her generation. “I realised that I inherited her passion for dance, but was never provided with the opportunity to learn since dance was believed to be an expensive affair. For me, it was even more difficult since we were from a middle-class family and I was raised by a single parent.” 

Fortunate To Learn: The Kuchipudi dancer affirms that while pursuing Masters in Kuchipudi under Prof. Anuradha Jonnalagadda, she got the opportunity to work in Padma Shri Guru Vempati Chinna Satyam (Master garu’s) productions. “I had the good fortune of playing almost all the lead roles in all his major productions. The list includes- as Goddess Lakshmi in ‘Gajananeeyam’, as Sasirekha and Subhadra in his ‘Sasirekha Parinayam Yakshaganam’, as Surpanakha in ‘Rama Kadha Saram’, as Goddess Kala Ratri/ Mahishasuramardhini in ‘Nava Durga Vilasam’ and many more. I continued to take personal classes in Kuchipudi with Master garu for many years since then in Balanandam (where he used to hold classes),” she says. At the same breath, she states that Master guru was an institution in himself. “Learning experience with Master garu was completely different. Training with him cannot be measured in terms of learning the technique or a set of steps or a few dance numbers, but it is much more than that. His very presence around is a whole lot of learning in itself. He left his students with a larger sphere of influence,” she says. Girija beautifully sums up learning under Master garu as: “Gurosthu mounam vyakhyanam sishyastu chhinna samsayaha.” (The guru preaches through silence and all the doubts of the disciples are removed or eliminated.)

Giving a glimpse of her choreographies, she discloses that she has always been fascinated by the classical Telugu and Sanskrit literature. “I was always held spellbound by some of the ecstatic verses which I came across, from the epic poetry or prose by great authors. Apparently, this interest of mine is reflected in my choreographies too. Whether it is solo pieces or dance dramas, I have always experienced perceptual consistency. I have compiled most of my choreographies culling out material from ancient Indian literature,” she says. 

First Major Production: For her first major production ‘Srinivasa Kalyana Vaibhavam’, she herself compiled the script by collating few related Annamacharya keertanas in a sequence to run the story. “Annamayya keertanas like ‘Uggu Pettare Oyamma’, ‘Vacchenu Alamelumanga,’ were used to introduce the character of Alamelumanga. ‘Thalachina Hrdayamu Jhallana’ a Viraha Keerthana composed by Annamayya was taken to depict the viraha of Lord Srinivas for Alamelumanga. ‘Kulukaga Nadavaro’, ‘Brahma Kadigina Padamu’, ‘Pasidi Akshathalive’, ‘Okaparikokapari’, ‘Jagadapu Chanavula’ were among the few used to carry out the wedding sequence of Srinivasa and Alamelumanga there on.  Sandhi Vachanams or the link dialogues, were drawn from Tarigonda Vengamamba’s very famous ‘Venkatachala Mahatyam Padyakavyam,” the dancer says.

Girija employed similar modus operandi for her second major production ‘Sri Lalityam’, a dance drama based on the manifestation of Aadi Parasakthi as Goddess Lalitha to annihilate the evil demon Bhandasura. “I compiled the script using majorly the related sthuthis and strotras composed by Jagathguru Sri Adi Shankaracharya. The exquisite Navarasa sloka, ‘Sive Srungaradra’ was drawn from the Soundarya Lahari. Keertanas of other vaggeyakaras were also used to build the plot. I myself penned the ‘Bhandasura Pravesa Daruvu’ in the ballet,” she divulges. She has compiled solo songs for dance and ‘Surya Sthuthi’, a solo dance piece compiled extracting verses from various Hindu scriptures, which include verses from Surya Suktham of Rig Veda, Upanishads related to Savitr dynasty, Surya Ashtakam, and Surya Dandakam which is under process for music composing.

On her recent works, Girija discloses: “I have experimented with the Astavidha Nayikas by adding one more nayika, titled as ‘Navavidha Nayika Abhinaya’. The ninth nayika which I have introduced is the Aatma Nayika, a meta physical character. The Atma Nayika, though a culmination of all the Ashta Nayikas yet above all these worldly female protagonists. I have also experimented portraying all these Navavidha Nayikas to a ‘common’, single line Pallavi of a Javali.”