Michael Jackson’s Black Or White music video in 1911 stirred the whole world. But what was more riveting for us, the Indians, was those electrifying Bharatanatyam steps for a flash of seconds.

Bharatanatyam, a 2,000-year-old dance form, is believed to have been revealed by Lord Brahma to Bharata in a Sanskrit text called the Natya Shastra, eventually experiencing a gradual resurgence throughout the globe. From random street performances, social media reels, and collaboration with Western pop art with non-Indians, like Sophia Salingaros of the USA and Daya Tomiko of Japan, the Bharatanatyam artists who had embraced the dance in its traditional and authentic form, this dance form, which was once unjustly banned in 1900 by the British in colonial India, is now stirring the world’s populace through and through for its pacificity, purposeful lyrics, and expressive movements.

This week, The Statesman caught up with Parama Roy Bardhan, a Bharatanatyam professional, who, on 15 July this year, brought immense honour to the country through her performance at the 2nd World Festival of Indian Dance in Athens, Greece, hosted by the International Dance Council (CID).

With a career spanning about 17 years, Parama began her journey at the age of four in Khardah, a suburban town near Kolkata. Belonging to a family with an art background, she had many opportunities to experience different kinds of art. She too even learned Kathak at the age of eight, but finally moved on with Bharatanatyam and continued to learn and excel in the latter for the next 12 years.

Stemming from an artistic milieu, her early childhood was immersed in various art forms. At the age of eight, she embarked on learning Kathak but eventually transitioned to Bharatanatyam. With unwavering dedication, she pursued Bharatanatyam under Guru Sri Pradeepta Niyogi for the next 12 years, honing her skills and achieving excellence in this classical Indian dance form.

It was only after her father’s demise that she got disconnected from Bharatanatyam and majorly focused on academics to sustain her family. Yet her mind always yearned for Bharatanatyam.

“As a child from a middle-class family with an unfortunate loss of a parent, I felt I should be self-supported as soon as possible. Hence, after completing my B.Tech., I started working. After my marriage in 2014, I settled in Atlanta, US. Here, I initially worked as a software engineer and eventually figured out how to rekindle my passion for dancing once again,” says Parama.

It wasn’t until 2019 that she pulled out her long-lost passion, which was once cornered due to uphill battles in existence. After recovering her dancing skills to a professional level, in 2021, she debuted with her initial performances at various events within the Indian communities in Atlanta and later extended her reach to the multicultural cross-community stages of the United States.

She narrates, “Here, in Atlanta, I found Indian classical dancing is promoted in a different way. First, Indian classical dance is primarily confined to Indian communities. Second, performers mostly perform together as groups. Therefore, as a solo Indian Bharatanatyam performer, changing the above situations became a challenge for me.”

“I participated in various American multinational festivals as a Bharatanatyam solo dancer. I still remember that last year, when I reached the venue of the Cobb County International Festival, I found out that I was the only one selected to represent India along with eight other nations all over the world. It was the beginning of a dream come true. I got exceptional positive feedback for my performance there from many other communities and organisations, including the US Department of Arts and Culture. Since then, I have been performing at numerous international festivals,” she adds.

The Cobb County International Festival on 26 August 2023, gave her a proper platform where she represented India with a captivating ‘Thillana’, winning the admiration of a diverse American audience. Hence, this year, on 24 August, she got invited to the Cobb to represent Bharatanatyam.

She concludes with her insights on the medical benefits of Bharatanatyam and the benefits of introducing it into school curricula. “Bharatanatyam can be incorporated into the school curricula. This is not only an art form but also a spontaneous procedure to build mental, physical, and spiritual stamina. Bharatanatyam makes our minds meditative and focused. A proper presentation of Bharatanatyam can make the performer as well as the audience stress-free. Hand gestures, or mudras, if practised regularly, improve blood circulation. Regular practice of Bharatanatyam includes cardio exercises, which are responsible for healthy hearts. It increases stamina and flexibility. Bharatanatyam includes Navarasa, or ‘nine emotions’. These emotions are structured in accordance with the storyline and the characters, therefore connecting us to the performance and making our minds meditative and focused. Also, various eye movements in Bharatanatyam cause effective eye exercises, which can make our eyesight healthy.”

This year, during Durga puja, in Atalanta, she will be performing Chitrangada, a dance-drama written by Rabindranath Tagore, based on a small part of the epic Mahabharata.

Roy Bardhan’s future plans are centred on spreading the beauty of Bharatanatyam to diverse global communities. Her approach involves continuous learning, teaching, and, of course, performing, ensuring its enduring legacy and appreciation across borders.