Jaishree Rao (Mumbai)
When I approached Guru Rajee to teach me Bharatanatyam, in the seventies, I had already completed my graduation in Bharatanatyam, my Arangetram. As my former guru had left Mumbai. I needed to continue my explorations into this dance form that had captivated me. In ‘Aunty’ I found a multi-faceted personality, a genius who could write songs for dance in several languages. She would set it to music and sing it herself. Her mastery over rhythm is evident in the many songs that she has presented in her books, Nritya Geeta Mala, volumes 1 & 2.
The first dance that I learnt from her is Maharaja Swati Thirunal’s Kamalajasya Varnam, an unforgettable experience. The last item I learnt was in 2020, to perform at the Natyanjali Festival during Mahasivaratri, at the Murugan Temple in Chheda Nagar, Mumbai. She wrote a short beautiful 5-minute composition on Bhagawan Shiva.
With her in my life, there was always so much to be done, constantly, from planning to execution of dance events and new publications, running the dance class, teaching the beginners as well as senior students. In those days when computers and the internet were still unknown, she entrusted me with her compositions for publishing. Each page of Nritya Geeta Mala was painfully done by hand, ‘cutting-pasting’ of ‘type-set’ composed text matter! She would do the proof-reading herself. Subsequently, other books followed. To popularise the folk dances of India, she published Rural Rhythms, a collection of folk songs, especially of South India. She held Kolaatta Jothrai festivals in many cities and did workshops on folk dance that I was happy to assist.
Dancing in her presence was my ultimate joy. Most women in my family were Aunty’s students – my sister Hema, my cousin Aruna, nieces Vidya, Vaishnavi and Neeta and my two daughters, Maya and Moksha. The attraction was too great and my enthusiasm was infectious! Her repertoire was really amazingly vast and there was so much to learn.
Through her tireless dedication, creative brilliance and boundless generosity, Guru Rajee shaped not only my journey in dance but also the lives of countless others who came under her guidance. Her legacy lives on in every composition, every movement and in the hearts of her students who continue to carry her teachings forward.
To have walked this path with her has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. For all that she was – as a teacher, mentor, artist and visionary – I remain forever grateful.
