Tonight, my Wife and I attended a Bharatanatyam performance by the renowned Alarmel Valli. I have seen video clips of Bharatanatyam dance before and have read a little bit about it, but I must say, I cannot remember having ever seen so much artistry and beauty displayed before my eyes in my whole life. She began with a couple of dances that were more traditional, and finished with one she interpreted from a Sangam poem and another from the Purananooru, about a woman grieving over a fallen chieftain and imagining his mother remembering joyful memories and her present pain. These last two were wonderfully and beautifully interpreted.
I'm sure most of you are very familiar with this sort of thing and, as someone sampling it for the first time, I have little knowledge of Bharatanatyam's fine points. However, even a crude person like myself could easily see the talent and artistry on display. I don't think I'll ever be able to forget what I've seen tonight.
