Bala

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Arts Documentary hosted by narrator unknown, published by Satyajit Ray in 1976 - English narration

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This is Satyajit Ray's magnificent documentary on T. Balaswaraswati (1918-1984), the legendary Bharatanatyam Dancer. Made in 1976, when Bala was 59, the documentary traces the biography of Bala, but above all concentrates on her dance and gives us a truly unforgettable glimpse into the art of one of the greatest geniuses from India. Dr. Narayana Menon called her the greatest dancer India has produced in a thousand years. T. Balaswaraswati or Bala as she was commonly known, was not just a great dancer. She dominated the field for a generation, enriching the existing tradition, providing a corrective to current practices and setting standards for generations to follow. If Classical Western Ballet had a Anna Pavlova or a Vaslav Nijnsky, Bharatanatyam had Bala. Critics raved over her performances, describing the fluidity of her movements, the maginificence of her Abhinaya (or mime). One went so far as to say that to see Bala dance was to touch divinity. Only a great master could capture such divinity. Satyajit Ray's tribute to Bala does not use any extraordinary cinematographic techniques. The greatness lies in the simplicity of his treatment. He just lets Bala's dance speak for itself. And do remember you are seeing the dancer when she was 59. Imagine for yourself what she must have been in her prime.