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.