News & Notes

An ode to the Tanjore Quartet

On 5, January 2025, Bala Devi Chandrashekar’s latest digital work An ode to the Tanjore Quartet was released at the TAG Dakshinamurthy Auditorium, Mylapore. Nandini Ramani released the DVD and Priya Murle, President of ABHAI received the first copy. The other guests of honour for the occasion were Nalli Kuppuswami Chetty and K.N. Ramaswamy. 

Nandini Ramani in her speech, lamented the loss of works of some of the great nattuvanars of the past because they were not shared or documented properly. This, she felt, was why the project by Bala Devi was important. When Shri. Nalli Kuppuswamy spoke, he acknowledged that in a world where more and more learning happens in the digital space, this DVD with specific compositions of the brothers would be of great value to the younger generation. Ramaswamy emphasized the importance of the contributions of the great nattuvanars like Vazhuvoor Ramaiah Pillai whom he had the opportunity to observe from close quarters. 

Priya Murle appreciated Bala Devi and her husband Chandrashekar’s help to Indian artists touring the USA for their performances. She said that as Bharatanatyam keeps evolving with many innovations, it is also important for someone to take forward the tradition without many changes so that it may also be preserved. In this light, she felt that Bala Devi’s work was paramount in making it available to young dancers. 

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