When the Gods Dance: Bharatanatyam, Contemporary Dance

Of the four dances, Anita Ratnam is outstanding, and is probably the only piece worth watching. Srimati Ratnam is very beautiful and has such a flexible body and talent. Like she says, ananda is what dance means to her. She does an exemplary performance of ananda, going beyond the nava rasas.Dr. Padma Subramanian certainly has superb talent, but the modernization of the dance with Japanese music takes away the spirit of the dance.Lata and Gita's dance is better than their other performances, and the background of the Chidambaram temple premises is absolutely beautiful.Chandralekha has always been controversial. Her troop is talented, but the very theme and subtle message are shameful. It should never have been allowed in the authentic Bharatanatyam. She has a history of doing low level choreography and truly disappointing the audience. Too many individuals boycott her after attending one performance. It is a waste of time and money.Some of the experts in the program state that they prefer traditional dance. They share the opinion of the majority of dancers and audience. Traditional dance should be kept traditional. The four non-traditional dances in this program have certainly demeaned the classical, authentic art and science.