Balamma brought the gods to the earth

It is not only because he is her son-in-law that a Westerner has written about her, but it is also because of the obvious fact that she is a global performer. “When someone saw her perform on a foreign stage, they wouldn’t think of her as an Indian performer,” said Douglas M Knight, about the famous Indian dancer and singer Balasaraswati, during the release of his debut book. The American ethnomusicologist has chronicled the life of the dancer, making Balasaraswati: Her Art and Life, her first complete biography. Apart from commentary from close family members, friends and acquaintances, the book has rare and historical black and white photographs of the revolutionary, forward thinking dancer performing on stages around the world. The book also contains a personal account of her life and her thoughts on the formative years of classical dance and music forms. Having been closely associated with Balasaraswati’s family, (He not only trained in mridangam with her brothers Ranganathan and Viswanathan, but also appeared in performances with them and Balasaraswati herself) Douglas traces his relationship with “Balamma” from the early 60s onwards in his book. His awe for the dancer does not come through in just his writing, but also as he spoke about her. “I am happy in my heart that Balamma’s story has come back home,” he said. “She transcended the exoticness and Indianess of her art. She danced in not only the major places in North America and Asia, but also on tiny stages and that was what made her so great.” Douglas revealed that Balamma had confessed of having no trouble in attracting or speaking with her audience. “Be it in the US or in India, each time when she performed, she would pick one member from the audience to connect with and she would not care about anyone else,” he said. “Not only her renowned abinayas, but even her feet were subtle and peaceful.” Releasing the first copy of the book was former governor of West Bengal Gopalkrishna Gandhi. Leela Samson, dancer and the director of Kalakshetra, received the first copy. “When Balamma danced, the accompanying music celebrated her. The abinaya in her dance was magical,” said Gopalkrishna. “Having witnessed her performance is a blessing from God, according to me. Balamma brought the Gods to the earth,” he added. Leela Samson remembered her younger days, when as a student at Kalakshetra, she would sneak away time to watch Balamma perform in the city. ”What was admirable about her was that in the States, she danced for mainstream American audience and not pockets of Indians,” she said. “Balamma made waves where it mattered.”