Chandralekha : In The Voice Of The Other

<p>Kalarippayattu is an indigenous martial art of Kerala. I am a traditionally trained Kalarippayattu practitioner. I joined the Indian contemporary dance-choreographer Chandralekha (1928–2006) in Chennai as instructed by my Kalari Guru Shri E P Vasudevan Gurukkal (1932–2015) (Kaduthuruthy Kerala). I worked with Chandralekha and performed nine of her creative productions for twenty years (1986–2006). I continued to perform her last creative production for another ten years. In this book I am narrating my thirty years (1986–2016) of experience performing the creative works of Chandralekha.</p><p>“…he has the capacity to ‘disappear’ when he moves. We don’t see him we see the movement.”</p><p>“…He does not represent the movement. He <i>is</i> the movement. Or more simply he <i>is.”</i></p><p>–        Rustom Bharucha </p><p><i>(Chandralekha: Woman Dance Resistance pp.253-4.)</i></p>