In Kanakavalli’s March Vignette, we meet Radhe Jaggi, a Bharatanatyam dancer who believes that the classical arts are truly contemporary in their grammar and expression. In a conversation that spans the past and the present, Radhe reminisces about a childhood spent climbing trees, and on the road with her father, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. For her, travel is a way of life, and she continues to love being on the move, whether trekking in the mountains or scuba diving off remote islands. Speaking to Aneesha Bangera of the Kanakavalli Journal, Radhe talks about being given the freedom to make unconventional choices at a very young age, about watching her father’s aesthetic unfold through his attention to detail, and about being drawn to the powerful potential of solo performance in dance. For Radhe, beauty is intangible and intensely personal. She describes her ‘love affair’ with the sari, curating a selection of vibrant kanjivarams from the Kanakavalli repertoire, each a reflection of her passion for the weave.

Dance was a complete surprise for me. Like so many young girls, I joined dance class at the age of 8 or 9. In boarding school, our schedules were so full of activity though, that dance was definitely not a priority. Over the years, I kept going back and forth between vocal music, mridangam and dance. I was passionate about painting and poetry as well, so I never gave dance any special attention. I always thought I would study literature or fine art, and never imagined I would pursue dance. Getting into Bharatanatyam was almost an accident. After the 10th grade I didn’t want to go back to a regular school. My father and I were in Chennai for a few days, so we visited Kalakshetra and met Leela Samson, who was the Director at that time. Speaking to Leela Akka about art and life, I was struck by the way in which she talked about her passion for dance. It was rare for me to hear a teacher speak with such conviction and I was immediately enthralled. She invited me to spend half a day with the first-year students and I fell in love with the space. Seeing how inspired I’d been by Leela Akka, my father asked me if I wanted to study at Kalakshetra.
And that’s really how it all began – I think I was just in the right place at the right time. I only really started studying dance seriously at the age of 16, which is considered quite late, but I think it has been the best decision for me. I did a four-year diploma course in Kalakshetra, after which I did Arts Management at Dakshina Chitra for a year. Studying dance is such an intense experience, and you have to be so focused that you can’t help being completely involved in the space and the art form. Since completing the course, I have continued to train under Leela Akka, and I perform with her dance company Spanda Dance Company. While I enjoy group performances and learn so much from the experience, my focus is really on solo performance. I find that as an individual artiste, you have to constantly challenge yourself in different ways. Both formats offer unique perspectives, and it’s been interesting to perform in a group and solo over the years.