Discover Dance, Digging Deeper: Bhavajan Kumar

Company Member, Purawai Vyas has written about her experience of the April 2022 edition of Discover Dance, with special guest Bhavajan Kumar.

Purawai’s experience

Bhavajan’s performance at Discover Dance was intimate, delicate, and filled with intensity. His movements were strong yet graceful, his hand gestures articulate, and his expressions filled with conviction. I noticed his gaze was filled with such clarity that you could see the extensions of the lines and curves devour the space outside his body. The intention and honesty in his eyes in the padam, about a young woman waiting for her lover only to find out he had been with another woman, was extremely convincing and intimate.  

Dainty and Bhavajan spoke about the spirituality that lies within the dance form. Bharatanatyam is a form that is a medium to connecting with gods/goddesses and a divine power. It was beautiful to see and hear about the transformative and divine energy that exists within a dancing body. When Bhavajan said “the greatest dancers can make you forget their form…”, it reminded me of how enchanting and transformative Bharatanatyam can be, and it made me the appreciate the skill it takes for dancers to change characters and transform space in this practice. The idea of relevance of the cultural stories was brought up, and how they are passed down through generations, as they are very ancient. Bhavajan explained the stories are passed down through an oral tradition, but written texts also exist that can be referred to. It was interesting to learn that many of these Indian stories, may differ between regions, and that a hero in one region may be a villain in another region. Rather than the stories fading away through generations, there is commentary with each generation and the stories grow and are passed down. Watching Bhavajan dance was truly a beautiful and intense experience. 

“It was beautiful to see and hear about the transformative and divine energy that exists within a dancing body”

“Bhavajan is a gifted, highly-skilled and vibrant performer whose charm and sparkling essence instantly seduces the viewer into his journey of transformation.  I was particularly impressed by the grace with which he fielded questions that sometimes can be trying for artists.  Specifically, when Dainty asked about connections between Bollywood and Bharatnatyam.  Sometimes classically trained artists can get cranky about this question, but Bhavajan was nothing but gracious in his explanation which embraced the common ground of storytelling and positive energy while clarifying the distinctions of dance for film vs. worship or performance.”  

- Nova Bhattacharya 

“Having watched Bhavajan perform 3 times in two days, I was so impressed with his ability to demand my attention.  I was inspired by his capability to showcase the rigor of Bharatanatyam, but also weave in incredible grace and clarity.  I was left feeling proud that young male dancers who began their dance training journeys in Canada, have accomplished so much respect and demand among the Indian dance scene.  It made me realise that training has no borders, rigor and practice will always prevail and dancers like Bhavajan play an important role is showcasing the talents of South Asian dancers who live all over the world, elevating the art form” 

- Neena Jayarajan