The Art and the Artist

WE CAUGHT UP WITH THE GRACEFUL DANSEUSE RUKMINI VIJAYAKUMAR OVER A CANDID CHAT, AFTER HER PERFORMANCE AT THE PROVOKE ART FESTIVAL RECENTLY. HERE ARE A FEW EXCERPTS

- BY NAMITA GUPTA

Rukmini Vijayakumar, Artistic Director of the Radha Kalpa Dance Company and Director of LshVa, a creative space for artists in the heart of Bangalore, lit up the stage at the Provoke Art Festival 2025. Founder of the Raadha Kalpa Method, an educational system for Bharatanatyam, she brings new dimensions to the dance form, enhancing its relevance in both traditional and modern contexts.

She studied Bharatanatyam under Guru Padmini Rao, Guru Sundari Santanam, and Guru Narmada. A graduate of the Boston Conservatory, she is also a recipient of the Jiri Kylian Grant for Choreography in 2018, Gandharva award by Madhya Pradesh in 2021 and has created and premiered two works, Unrequited and The Muse, at the Korzo Theatre, Netherlands. Her productions Nayani, Prabhavati, Talattu, The Dark Lord, and Ishwara have toured India and the world extensively. Also, an actor, Rukmini has been recognised for the roles that she has played in a number of Indian films and theatre performances. Her book 'Finding Shiva' was selected to the IAAC Literary Festival in 2022 in New York City.

What first drew you to dance as a form, and how has your relationship with the Bharatnatyam evolved over time? When did you start your training and decide to take it up professionally?

I always loved dancing from when I was a child and began dancing Bharatanatyam because I used to watch my mother go to Bharatanatyam class. That was when I was five years old and over time, I started enjoying the form because of its nuance and its connection to the spiritual roots and the fact that it's such an integral part of Indian tradition. I come from a very traditional family, so it just worked for me and I started training when I was five years old and soon decided to take it up full time after high school.

You've trained in both classical and contemporary styles. How do you combine the best of both these worlds into your choreography?