85-Year-Old Dance Master Takes Stage at Kerala Festival

When 85-year-old Guru Pasumarthi Rattiah Sarma walked onto the Chennai stage with cymbals around his neck, he brought something rare: a living link to ancient Indian dance theater.

Sarma is one of the last masters of original Kuchipudi Yakshagana, born into the tradition and still performing with the energy of someone half his age. At the 19th Chandralekha Memorial Festival, he shared the spotlight with his student Kavya Harish, presenting pieces from old repertoires that might otherwise be lost to time.

The festival celebrated dancers from Kerala through four days of performances. Five classical dance styles took center stage: Kuchipudi Yakshagana, Mohiniyattam, Bharatanatyam, and Koodiyattam.

Kavya demonstrated what dedication to tradition looks like. Her timing, acting, and vocals brought rustic authenticity to every movement, showing how ancient art forms stay alive when students truly listen to their teachers.

Vinitha Nedungadi introduced something fresh to Mohiniyattam by slowing down its already graceful movements. The deeper pace let audiences sink into each gesture, turning dance into meditation set to melody.

The Ripple Effect

This memorial festival does more than honor the late choreographer Chandralekha. It creates space for rare dance forms to breathe and evolve.

Bharatanatyam dancer Rajashree Warrier transformed classical compositions into mini-dramas, telling ancient stories through the eyes of overlooked characters. Meanwhile, Koodiyattam expert Usha Nangiar spent nearly two hours bringing Ahalya's story to life with facial expressions so nuanced that words became unnecessary.

These performances preserve cultural memory while proving that tradition isn't static. Each dancer honored the past while making it speak to today's audiences.

The festival's focus on Kerala dancers highlighted a state where classical arts remain woven into daily cultural life. When an 85-year-old guru can joke about timing ("The time is right for the letter, but not for Kuchipudi Yakshagana in Chennai!") while sitting cross-legged on stage, you're witnessing art that's truly alive.

Young students like Kavya learn directly from masters who learned from their masters, creating an unbroken chain stretching back centuries. Expert musicians supported each performance, showing how these arts require entire communities working in harmony.

India's classical dance heritage survives because of festivals like this one, where tradition meets innovation on stages that welcome both. Every performance plants seeds for the next generation of dancers who'll keep these stories moving forward.