Doing the math on Bharatnatyam

There is a certain malleability that one commonly associates with dance — with exponents snaking and swirling across the stage. The flowing art form, as captured in public imagination, is clearly a far cry from math, often infamous for its rigid adherence to formula. But making the proverbial twain meet is Rajeswari Sainath, a Bharatanatyam dancer based out of both Hyderabad and Chennai.

By relying on math concepts, the feted classical dancer is definitely giving a new twist to this dance form. And it clearly helps that she is the niece of a maven in layam (rhythm), percussionist Karaikudi Mani. “Dance should have both layam and abinayam,” she reasons, and math, as she sees it, is the very essence of layam.

“Maths is objective. It is equal to all. There is no margin for error. But abhinayam is an individualistic expression, which is why I think precision has eluded the dance form. One ought to strike a balance between the two,” says Rajeswari, who is the director of the performing arts school Sruthilaya Kendra Natrajalaya, headquartered in Hyderabad.

The dancer’s jathis (rhythmic syllables) are known to be composed with intricate patterns, often composed with the able guidance of Mani. These, she says, rest heavily on mathematical calculations. In her performances, math concepts penetrate into one of the most basic aspects of dance: aduvus or footwork. “These are largely based on geometric patterns. Deciding which pattern precedes which is an area that I rely on math for. When done perfectly, it only enhances the aesthetic appeal,” she argues.

She also elaborates on the influence that math has on abinaya. “The subtle breaks that you would like to give in your movements, the pauses and stresses, all need to be done at a precise moment. Calculations are key here. Sometimes, my dance may break from the original talam of the song to convey an emotion, but for it to not be wrong, it should have an empirical basis,” she says. Arithmetic progression is a concept she uses most often while creating a piece.

“Attempts as these can help build the art-science divide,” she adds. An experimental streak to dance is evident in her repertoire, which includes performing the classical art form to jazz music. She is clearly no fan of the shopworn practice of mere emotion-laden dance, and says, “It is time we got beyond the Radha and Krishna songs. Let’s leave it to the kids. We should make the art form precise and grammatically erudite.”

If Rajeswari is already making the art form seem like a scientific enterprise, wait till you hear of her next project. She is currently working with a neurosurgeon, Dr I Dinakar, former director of the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), Hyderabad, about viewing Bharatanatyam as a cerebral activity. It seems like in Bharatanatyam, and its sprightly exponent, beauty and brains can clearly co-exist.