Dancing Diva, mastery in 3 classical dance forms

Guru Solves Problem: Sharing an unforgettable incident, Swati Mahalakshmi says that she had a performance in Chennai during December season, which she could not have missed. When she told Guru Vempati Chinna Satyam about this, he was very concerned and did not want her to cancel a program in the prestigious Chennai Sabha. “He offered to do nattuvangam for me for my Bharatanatyam repertoire. He not only learnt the jatis and nattuvangam for that accompanies them, but his entire orchestra cooperated with me. Singer Kanakadurga garu learnt all the numbers from Varanam to Thillana, and the Mridangist, Veena maestro, flautist and violinist artists all rose up to the occasion. I was moved to tears. Such compassion on Master Garu’s part and way he found to solve this issue is unheard of. I was speechless with gratitude and reverence,” says Swati Mahalakshmi with moist eyes.

The dancer says, she is ever grateful to Smt. Rukmini Devi, who allowed her to learn in Kalakshetra for six months every year and return to Nainital to pursue her academics. “This was a kind and compassionate gesture on her part, which was unheard of in Kalakshetra. But her compassion for me and to the fact that I was so determined to learn under her in Kalakshetra, she bent that rule for me,” says the artist. She says that similarly Gurus Mayadhar Raut and Kelucharan Mohapatra never asked her to restrain her class time to one hour. “After my class was over, they asked me to continue practicing with other groups and fee for those classes were never mentioned by them. They were so keen on my learning that they overlooked that aspect completely. I cannot express my gratitude to them. Such are rare experiences that I had,” she says with gratitude. 

‘Indebted to my family’s support’

Talking about family support, she says that her parents, were the driving force behind her learning dance and music. “My mother was an artist in her own right. She was an “A” Grade vocalist (Hindustani Classical) from Lucknow Radio. My father, was a dance critic of Hindustan Times, New Delhi. They ensured that I get best of the learning opportunities and experiences. Luckily, after my marriage, my in-laws and my husband were also very supportive and have always encouraged me in my pursuit of dance, music and teaching endeavours,” she says, quickly adding that she is indebted to them for creating the right kind of ambience that one needs to focus on one’s passion.  

On her regimen to stay on top, Swati Mahalakshmi says that there are two aspects; one for the guru and another the student. “Even when we are mentors, we have to keep chiselling our skills and creativity. In order to do that, I try to keep myself updated all the time by practicing regularly, conceptualising, creating, and choreographing new themes concepts and ideas from time to time. This ensures that the flow of creativity does not get stale and stagnated,” she states. The teacher says that by being a mentor, she still remains a student for a lifetime in exploring, discovering, and learning dance and music. “I do not shy away from discussing and absorbing new ideas and choreographies within the classical structure available all around us. This also includes knowing the student, their strength and weaknesses, their level of understanding of the art form, and replying to their questions and doubts. For me each student is unique in his/her learning abilities, and I try to tailor the teaching schedule, keeping in view the student, without compromising on the classical tenets,” she says. 

Swati Mahalakshmi in all the three art forms

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