24/08/2018
"Bharatanatyam, in my opinion is not just a fine art to which children are exposed as a routine. It is a way of life which nurtures many related subjects which the average child may not come across in a school curriculum. Dance teaches them the core of our civilisation. They learn mythology, music, spirituality and languages. The body becomes a tool for expressing our culture in its myriad forms. When dancers as young as those I saw performing, walk through a temple, they learn about sculpture, painting, architecture and heritage. The lessons they learn are not from text books, but are experiences of Art. This augurs well for a future which can rely on a large number of youth who, having gone through the discipline of learning dance, will learn to respect all art forms. They will certainly stand up for a wide range of important aspects of culture which are getting slowly eroded with massive ignorance and indifference. They will be the custodians of our heritage, not just dance, because they have been exposed to the links that have held many streams together."
- Lakshmi Vishwanathan
