Vazhuvoor B. Ramaiyah Pillai

Vazhuvoor B. Ramaiyah Pillai (1910 - 1991) was a famous Bharathanatyam teacher from Tamil Nadu. He was popularly referred to as Vazhuvoorar.

Early life

Vazhuvoor Ramaiyah Pillai was born in 1910 to Parthiban and Bagyathammal in Vazhuvoor. He learned the arts of Nattuvangam and Bharatanatyam from his maternal uncle Maanikka Nattuvanar.

Career

He was appreciated for introducing innovative trials in Bharatanatyam. He carried the mantle of traditional and most ancient vazhuvoor bani from his ancestors, dating to the days of the Cholas dynasty. He popularized this bani around the globe. If Rukmani Devi Arundale institutionalized Bharatanatyam, Vazhuvooraar popularized, it especially through his star disciple Kamala. He implemented Rama Natak Kiruti, Tyagaraya Swami Kiruti, Bharathiyar songs, Kutralak Kuravanji, Arunachala Kavi songs, and Oottukkadu Venkata Kavi songs in Baratanatyam through his instructions. During the time that the British had banned Bharathiyar's songs, Vazhuvoor made these songs performed by his students in stage plays, thereby encouraging the support of Indian Independence. Vazhuvoorar was truly a creative master in traditional mold. He belong to the family of musicians and dance masters. His ancestors have preserved, nurtured and handed over this vazhuvoor bani or tradition of classical dance from generation to generations for several centuries together. My grandfather was one of the direct inheritor of this grand lineage. Vazhuvoorar made bharathanatyam interesting to all kinds of people without sacrificing the classical form. This ancient dance form reached the audience across the entire span of this country by Vazhuvoorar especially thru his star disciple Kamala. Enthralled by the scintillating performances many took to dancing. The Vazhuvoor style is sculpturusque and crisp. Not only the abhinaya but also the nritta is very expressive. Fluid grace and a deep yet subtle feel for abhinaya is the hallmark of this bani. It was Vazhuvoorar who had started the practice of a dancer striking sculpturesque poses. He had also brought back into vogue the teermanam-s. Those days teermanam-s were composed only be elders. He added some new ideas to them. Contrary to the then existing practice of performing in a confined space, Vazhuvoorar introduced few changes in leg movements where the performer was trained to move around to cover the entire stage adding beauty and grace in the eyes of the audience. Vazhuvoorar besides dance learnt music and also to compose jati-s for dance from his elders. At a very tender age he used to write jati-s automatically, keeping time with the palm, to offbeat cycles. Just by listening and watching to his masters he would recite jati-s effortlessly keeping time with palm. This art he learned even not aware of learning it. Later when he had taken to his profession this helped him to compose numerous natya jati-s appropriate for the dance sequences. His sonorous and majestic rendering of the sollukattu added to its beauty. Audience listening to this was wonderstruck and was all praise for Vazhuvoorar. Perhaps he was the only one in those time followed by his son Vazhuvoor Samraj later who were gifted in delivering these natya jati-s to its original glory. Vazhuvoorar had knowledge of tandava jati-s too. There are various forms of siva tandava-s called the nava tandava-s. These include Shodasa tandavam, Sapta tandavam, Dwadasa tandavam and so on. When the presiding deity in Chidambaram, Thiruvarur and Vazhuvoor were taken out for procession dance would be performed and these tandava jati-s would be recited. Natyacharya of the village would lead with accompaniment of suddamaddalam. Sons and disciples of the masters would follow in chorus. It would be recited in the tara stayi sadja and would be in the raga nattai. In these jati-s there are syllables-beejakshara-s. They have the effect of mantra-s. There are lot of difference between these tandava jati-s and natya jati-s. Vazhuvoorar had used these jati-s in few of his compositions wherever it was appropriate. During the Pann research conference held in the year 1961, Vazhuvoorar recited these tandava jati-s to the standing ovation of a thousand strong participants. Perhaps today there is none who is capable of rendering these centuries old sacred jati-s.

During the days of sadir, there were those who earned, maintained respect and admired the art as well as those who besmirched it. Yet there was an attempt to put down dancing as a social evil along with the devadasi system. However the dance itself survived the on-slaught. Support for the art revived as people like E.Krishna Iyer canvassed support for the art by his writings to journals, speeches and encouraging the artists. Propaganda about special features of the art reached the public and there was a new demand. It was this golden age for the art when Vazhuvoor Ramaiah Pillai started his career. He trained many students from reputed families. He was successful in keeping the tradition and tried introducing many innovations in classical dance according to time. It was the perfect formula to win the deserving respect and recognition for this traditional art which is part of our glorious heritage. Vazhuvorar’s popularity also rose with time. Vazhuvoorar himself conducted nattuavangam and had revolutionized the way it was conducted. Earlier nattuvanars or gurus who conducted the dance recital used to tie their “angawasthiram” or towels round their waist and conduct the recital standing at the back of the dancer accompanying musicians. Vazhuvoorar abolished this disrespect and won due respect for these nattuvanars by himself for the first time in history wearing this “angawasthiram” on his shoulder and conducting the performance sitting on a stage beside the dancer. Once in Egmore museum theatre in those days the great guru Pandanallur Meenakshisundaram Pillai was conducting nattuvangam standing behind the dancer in the traditional way. Vazhuvoorar rushed to the great master and entreated him to sit down and conduct his nattuvangam in the most dignified and respected manner. Vazhuvoorar said “When I myself have done it in the seated posture, I cannot bear to see you stand for the nattuvangam” and he was heeded. Vazhuvoorar has not given up anything that is traditional. Infact he has only built on them further. Based on his knowledge and experience he felt improvements were possible. He found that some aspects of earlier dance forms which were according to sastra-s have been given up or discontinued. He had worked to reintroduce them. This he had done only in accordance to established norms and without deviating from tradition. For example the 108 karana-s once in vogue had been neglected. He studied and researched the sculptures in Thanjavur and Chidambaram temples. All the 108 karana-s are depicted there. He had taught these karana-s to his deserved students. For teaching karana-s suitable line drawings were prepared and students were trained to follow them. Appropriate songs and jati-s were choreographed to beautifully execute these karana-s in the dance sequence. Vazhuvoorar for the first time introduced tamil pada-s in bharathanatyam. Telugu pada-s like “manavi che konda rada” was translated into “karunai seidhidalahadha” by papanasam sivan and introduced in dance by Vazhuvoorar. It was an instant hit. Tamil rasika-s could understand and appreciate the items better. This encouraged Vazhuvoorar to teach his students with songs from Thevaram, Aandal paasuram, Kamba Ramayanam, Arunachala Kavi’s Rama Nataka compositions, Uthukkadu venkata subbaiyer’s compositions etc. Vazhuvoor was suitably honored with for this revolutionary idea. All the existing sabdam-s then were in Telugu. Vazhuvoorar for the first time introduced tamil sabdam-s like “venu gaananai and aadum mayilthanai”.Vazhuvoorar introduced many tamil varnam-s too. Many of his choreograph for stage and movies include Subramaniya Bharathiar’s patriotic songs too performed even during the times of British raj. It was well received by patriotic audience all over. Most popular Subramaniya Bharathiar’s patriotic songs “Aduvome pallu paduvome and Vetri ettu thikkum etta” were earlier performed by Anandhi-Radha on stage and later by Kamala in AVM’s movie “Naam Iruvar”. This doesn’t mean that Vazhuvoorar had ignored telugu or any other language for his choreographs altogether. He believed that a dance worthy song, whatever may be the language if done with suitable imagination will turn out to be good. Vazhuvoorar has taught abhinaya for Tyagaraja Kriti-s too. Saint Tyagaraja has composed his pancharatna Kriti as swara-sahitya in the varnam pattern. This encouraged Vazhuvoorar to include this item too in his dance recitals in the same varnam pattern. It came out quite creditably. Vazhuvoorar was for the first to visualize swati Tirunal’s “Kamala Jasya” in dance language and made his disciple Kamala perform this dasavatara varnam on several occasions. Vazhuvoorar came to chennai during 1938 when there was a demand for suitable dance master for teaching artistes performing in movies then. Raja Chandrasekar one of the versatile film director in those days invited Vazhuvoorar to chennai to choreograph dance sequences in his films. Vazhuvoorar clinched this opportunity with sheer grace and ruled the industry under virtual monopoly for many years with his capabilities. There was none other than him in the entire south film industry in those days. Whatever he taught and choreographed for films was pure bharathanatyam. Those times many films owned their popularity to dances. Vazhuvoorar had to choreograph an appropriate dance sequence matching the given situation. He had to teach the artiste, conduct rehearsals and attend shooting. He taught only as much was required. He taught in a manner that learning was easy. Yet it would take for a performer 4 to 5 months to learn the leg movements, hand gestures, facial expressions and the mudra-s. This done he would do the final touches which would render the dance more appealing. Among the artistes he taught this way include T.R.Rajakumari, K.L.V.Vasantha, M.V.Rajamma, Pasupuleti Kannamba etc. In the film “Ashokumar” Kannamba danced to the hit song “Unnai Kandu Mayangada Pergalundo” rendered in raga bairavi by M.K.Thyagaraja Bhagavathar. At times he was challenged with choreographing for film artistes who had no knowledge of dance. However he made them too perform to the glory of the movie with the audience unaware of it. Vazhuvoorar always commanded respect. Both in terms of speech and behavior he ensured not to earn any disrespect for him or his profession. He had a pleasing personality which was well received by the film industry. Vazhuvoorar’s imagination took shape in terms of designing appropriate costumes for the performance, suggest suitable make-up for the artists, stage arrangements, trying new accompanying instruments rather than contemporary ones, lighting arrangements etc. He himself electrified the atmosphere with his majestic appearance wearing silk dhotie, smearing his forehead with sacred ash, kumkum & sandal paste. All these glorified his performance on stage. He did this unaware of setting a trend to all those performing nattuvangam in the coming generations. Vazhuvoorar believed that apart from what has been taught by our elders it is the responsibility of the guru to teach from our imagination too to students who are capable. Guru must also create deserving successors otherwise the art will vanish. He himself has accomplished both. Vazhuvoorar not only helped many youngsters to learn dance but also has given training in dance music and nattuvangam. This he had done typically in a gurukulam pattern to many deserving students without expecting anything in return.

Later in his older age he served the governing body of “Iyal Isai Nataka Manram.” He was instrumental in winning the recognition for the nattuvanars or teachers too who’ve served in preserving the art tradition. He retorted “Not only the flower but the plant too need recognition and due patronage” thereby nurturing this tradition. Apart from medals and certificates he impressed upon the then government to benefit them monetarily since many of these gurus had a very humble background. He also won old age pension from government for these retired gurus and many artists.


Family

His family members consist of his wife Gnanasoundiram (late); his eldest daughter Jayalakshmi (late); his eldest son Natya Kala Samrat Samraj (late), who was a renowned dance master himself; his second son Manoharan (late); his third son Gurunathan (late); his second daughter Bagyalashmi , who is also equally knowledgeable in classical dance; and his last son Manikka Vinayagam, a popular singer in movies.

Notable students of Ramaiyah Pillai

Some of the notable students of Vazhuvoor B. Ramaiyah Pillai are:

Awards

The following are the awards received by Vazhuvoorar:

See also

References

  1. ↑ List announced by the authentic website of Tamil Isai Sangam
  2. ↑ SNA Awardees List

Sources

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