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Vasumathi’s Guru Kalaimamani T.K. Mahalingam Pillai hails from an ancestral family of dance teachers who are the torchbearers of the Tanjavur tradition of Bharata Natyam. Vasumathi represents in her style of dancing, the pristine beauty of the Tanjavur school of Bharata Natyam. This style is characterised by grace infused with a certain forceful elegance, subtle yet powerful histrionics. Vasumathi is a repository of many traditional pieces typical of the Tanjavur style, which she imbibed from her Guru. As a creative dancer, Vasumathi choreographs for her performances. Some of her noteworthy choreographic efforts include Leela Gopalam, a researched, thematic presentation on the life of Krishna and traces the incarnation of Krishna from the beginning to the finish of his earthly role. Darbari Darshan is another choreographic presentation of Vasumathi which portrays the panorama of raga Darbari Kanada through dance. The adaptation includes pieces that help explore Darbari, including a Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi which is the prerogative of the Carnatic music tradition and is usually never attempted in dance. Alongside her command over music, Vasumathi is also very able at nattuvangam, the art of conducting a dance recital. For her proficiency in dance, the Sur Singar Samsad, Mumbai awarded Vasumathi the title of “Singar Mani” given to young dancers. Besides dance, Vasumathi is also a musician - a vocalist of the Carnatic tradition of South India. Vasumathi is a recipient of the Junior Fellowship for music from the Ministry of Human Resources and Development, Government of India, awarded to outstanding young artistes. Vasumathi is the recipient of the title "Sur Mani" for her proficiency in music by the Sur Singar Samsad, Mumbai. She is a graded artiste of the All India Radio, one of India’s strongest upholders of classical music. As an artiste, Vasumathi derives joy as a performer of both music and dance. Her intense involvement in both these streams gives her an added advantage and helps her present her art with more feeling, awareness and aesthetic appeal. Vasumathi’s grip over music nourishes her dance endeavors and her dancer’s intuition invests her singing with feeling and sensitivity. Vasumathi is a prolific writer and has been publishing several in-depth articles in the area of classical music and dance for the local and international press. The publication section will have most of her published articles and can be a good resource to the art lovers. |