What do you think about interpretation of Oriya poetry in Bharatanatyam that is steeped in Dravidian idiom?
R: For a dancer, poetry can be in any language. Ultimately it is the language of dance that gives empowerment. I have been born and brought up in Delhi and Devanagari is natural to me as a script. I found no problem at all. M: This combining of different languages and forms through dance is in fact an example of national integration. While political people are trying to keep us apart, this is a manifestation of how Art brings us together. By the way, did you read the poetry of Mansingh translated into English in the book “Ripples of the Mahanadi,” at least these poems you are presenting in dance? R: Actually, we saw the book only later. We did read some of the poems in English, but what matters are the different nuances as in the original – the dhwani. The Sanskrit base helped, and the nuances were admirably explained to us by Oriya experts. You said earlier that dance is a universal language. We are not talking about Western dances here. What would you say is the common thread that ru
