An Interview with Vidya Sankaranarayanan from Brihadisha
The meaning of Vidya in Sanskrit is knowledge, but many more adjectives sprang to my mind during this interview. Vidya to me came across as a highly passionate, principled, strong and fiercely independent woman. She is a remarkable dancer who has been blessed by some legendary teachers in the world of Bharatanatyam. Here are some snippets our very interesting conversation. Please tell me how you came up with the name Brihadisha for your dance school? Brihadisha is the primary idol in the Tanjore temple. Tanjore is where my Guru hails from, and where I learned Bharatanatyam. I relate Tanjore to my Guru, Shri K.P. Kittappa Pillai. His family was settled in Tanjore for several years, and were patronized by the Maratha King Sarfoji. I spent most of my summer holidays learning dance at my guru’s home. It was a second home to me. My guru’s ancestors have written several compositions on Brihadisha. To me, Brihadisha and Tanjore are synonymous to each other so I felt it was apt to n...
