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Bharatanatyam
is a South Indian classical dance form that is several centuries old. It has been kept alive through the centuries by performances
that were held within Hindu temples and courtyards.
Today, it is the most popular classical dance form in India and
is being kept alive in the United States of America by dancers who
have immigrated here. The
dance form has two important segments: rhythmic and thematic.
The rhythmic segments involve complicated mathematical patterns
where the hands, feet and body are used to keep perfect rhythm.
The thematic segments involve storytelling where facial
emotions convey the evocative Indian technique of storytelling.
'Jaya
sudha purivaasaa
Jaya maha gnana sabesa…' So start the lyrics of a song sung as an
invocation before every performance of the Vazhuvoor style of
Bharatanatyam. Vazhuvoor is the name of a town in the district
of Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, India. From this town, Ramaiah
Pillai moved to Madras to popularize the art form of Bharatanatyam.
So many of his disciples became famous that the style taught by him
was named after the little town that he came from. Graceful
technique and subtlety in facial expressions characterize the style.
A number of statuesque poses are used as part of the choreography.
Guru Brahma Guru Vishnu: Guru Devo Maheshwaraha:
Guru Saakshaath Para Brahma Thasmai Sri Guruvey Namaha:
"The Guru is Brahma, the creator, Vishnu, the preserver, and Lord Shiva, the destroyer.
The Guru is the supreme being. Salutations to that Guru."
 was among a handful of direct disciples of Guru
Ramaiah Pillai. 
In
his lifetime, he was regarded as the premier Guru who established and
grew the Vazhuvoor style of dancing like no other. 'Sruti' magazine chose him to be one among two presenters about
the Vazhuvoor style and its technique in its seminar on 'Bharatanatyam
styles' held in 1990. Hallmarks
of his teaching included an emphasis on classicism in technique and
subtlety in expression. He
had a deep knowledge of Carnatic music and provided vocal
accompaniment for his students, a rare achievement within the field of
dancing. He was very well
known for his expert voice modulation during jathi rendition. He passed away in 1994, barely two weeks after completing a
successful US tour with four of his senior disciples. Nirupama Vaidhyanathan toured the US with Guru Rajarathnam in
1994, and had the good fortune of working closely with him from an
early age until his untimely demise that year.
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