ABOUT VAZHUVOORAR PARAMPARA
The Vazhuvoor School of classical Bharatha Natya art centre-a museum of ancient treasure of Bharathanatyam, meeges with the art, to wear a mellow, and a time worn mantle of originality and purity which mingles into both the art and the artiste. The poineers of this institution hail from Vazhuvoor a village in the vicinity of Mayvaram in Tanjore district. It has earned sanctity as one of the eight holy places (Kshetrams) which is associated with the legend of Gajasamharam (Lord Shiva killing the wicked elephant Gajendran).
The heritage of this dynasty of Natyacharya family extends deep into history, going as far back as about 2000 years. Bejewelling the crown of this Natya Empire is a temple stone carving, which discloses the fact that the princess Kundavi Nachiar daughter of King Rajaraja Chola was trained by one of the Vazhuvoor Stalwarts. Since then the Vazhuvoor parampara has set up a dynasty dance experts which have decade after decade produced Natyacharayas who have trained many dance exponents. Natyacharya Nagappa Pillai an ancestor of this family was the grand father of Guru Veerappa Pillai who was patronised by the Tanjore Court.
Guru Samu Pillai was the grandson of Guru Veerappa Pillai. The founder of this institution Vazhuvoor Ramiah Pillai was trained by his uncle Guru Manickam Pillai son of Guru Samu Pillai A renowned teacher that he is Guru Ramiah Pillai was conferred the coveted national title 'Padmashiri' in the year 1972 in appreciation of his service in the purpose of propogation of Bharatha Natyam in its classically perfect form. Guru Vazhuvoor Samarraj Pillai is the prodigy of Ramiah Pillai who labours meticulously in maintaining the trend of classical perfection set by his ancestors.
Father and son worked in unison to bring to the art a new scintillation and lustre which codified the Vazhuvoor style of Bharath Natyam. The Vazhuvoor style is noted for its elegance, polished perfection, grace, spiritual dignity and sculpturesque poses. It lays emphasis on an extraodinary suppleness of the body and limbs.
Among the services that Sri Ramiah Pillai has rendered to Bharatha Natyam is the training in the art that he has given to his talented son Samraj Named after the illustrious Samu Nattuvanar (Samu RajSamraj) Sri Samraj, now in the prime of life, is a worthy son of worthy father, both in his knowledge of the art and in his expertise in teaching. His innovativeness is most notworthy, both in his choreography and composition of ballets and in his encouragement of individuality in his pupils while yet adhering to the norms and modes of the art. His students include not only students from various parts of India but also from abroad. He often speaks of Bharatha Natyam as being not only a method of aritstics self-expressin but also as an art that can be regarded as complete only when imbued with love of God and devotion to learning.
Guru Samarraj's knowledge of the art is so extenstive and deep, that he makes his students do what he wants through mere verbal instructions. Creative thinking and maintenance of one's indivuduality is credited importance. His students are hence not proto types of one another but are given enough freedom to develop their latent talents.
Inheriting the legacy from his illustrous father Guru Samarraj is a creative thinker and a competant choreographer. He has produced innumerable dance ballets the themes of which are highly varied from Hinduism to Christianity, Patriotism and Humanism. To mention a few- ALLI THIRUMANAM. KUMARESAR KURAVANJI, KUTRALA KURAVANJI, OLIYIN NAHAL, KABILLAYY NATAKAM. Gifted with a rich voice and a commanding personality he holds his audience spell bound. The punch and sparkle of a Vazhuvoor jathy captivatingly rendered by Guru Samarraj inspires his students to bring out their best. He has to his credit produced a number of illustrous students who have participated in all the improtant dance festivals all over the world and have won awards and honours both in India and Abroad, thus bringing recognition to the school as one of the foremost dance institutions in the country.
Apart from having regular training programmes for local students the school specialises in organising courses and deplama programmes for out station and foreign students. The school also celebrates an annual December festival of dance and music as a token of encouragement to the art and the artiste to which art critics, art lovers and learners are all welcomed. In recognition to his services, the National Cultural Organisation, Delhi has honoured him with the title NATYAKALA SAMRAT and the Tamil Nadu Iyal Isai Nataka Mandram has honoured Guru Samarraj with the 'KALAIMAMANAI' Title.
The various students of the illustrious Vazhuvoor styles are kamala Lakshman, Vijayanthimala, E.V. Saroja, L.Vijayalakshmi, Jyothilakshmi, Padma Subramanian, Kanaka Srinivasan, Radha Venkataraman, Chitra Vishveswaran, Jayanthi Rajagopal, Shobana Jeysing, Sunitha Pillai, Jayanthasri Rajaram, Aruna Sankaranarayanan, Vidya Venugopal, Subha, Jalaja, Shalini, Sridevi Samraj, Radhika Sundaram.
Vazhuvoor Ramiah Pillai was a famous Bharatanatyam guru.Nattuvanar,and choreographer as well as a much sought after dance composer for films .He hailed from a family.Which for serveral generations,had been steeped in music and dance.His illustrious forefathers were Naappa Nattuvanar,Pitthu Nattuvanar,Veerappa Nattuvanar and Samu Nattuvanar.
Ramiah pillai was born on 24th December 1910.Having lost his father at an early age,he was brought up and rommed by his material uncle,manicka Nattuvanar,a well-known dance teacher. Ramiah pillai spent his early years in Vazhuvoor,learning to dance,studying the nuances of nattuvangam and participating in temple worship
He moved to madras in1938 at the invitation of a film director to teach dance to actress and to choreograph dances for them.some of the old time stars he taught were T.R.Rajakumari,K.L.VVasantha,M.V.Rajamma,Pasupaleti Kannamba,and E.V.Saroja.For a while he had a virtual monopoly over dance sequences in films made in the south.
Ramiah Pillai was the recipient of many honours and titles,notable among them were natya kala Kesari from the Indian National Congress,IasiPerarignar from Tamil Isai Sangam,Kalaimamani from the Tamilnadu Eyal Isai Sangam,Kalaimamani from the Tamilnadu Eyal Isai Nataka Sangam,the central Sangeet Natak Academy award,and the Padma Shri.
To establish their Vazhuvoor bani with oringinality to abroad dance learners Vazhuvoor Samraj Kumaran in the year 2010 conducted a “Work shop”in Australia for dance, along with his sister Mrs.Sridevi sendhil who is contributing her part to spread their family bhani by conducting a dance school in Sydney.
Vazhuvoor Samraj Kumaran is the key person in organizing the vazhuvoor Dance and Music Festival every year which consists of many culutral performances .This festival also welcomes many new comers to the field of cultural art with encouragement ,which inturns provide them a good future .The school also has performed many arangretram and programs in India and Abroad. Vazhuvoor Samraj Kumaran with keen interest paved a part for the growth of their dance school and in maintaining the vazhuvoor parampara and bhani with the blessing of his father Vazhuvoor R.samraj.
The Vazhuvoor family continoues to carry out their ancestral prodigy. Vazhuvoor Samraj’s son, vazhuvoor samraj kumaran, grandson of Natya Kala Kesari, Padmashree Vazhuvoor B Ramiah Pillai is now running the vazhuvoorar dance school in the same premises at N0 12 Brindavan Street, Mylapore, Chennai – 4. They carry out the Vazhuvoor Dance & Music Festival for the past 10years in Chennai, after their father’s demise. In the festival they give the prestigious VAZHUVOORAR AWARD to experts every year. Thiru K J Sarasa, Smt THirupura Sundari(SriLanka), Dr K J Yesudas, Dr. Padma Subramanian were the awardees. Vazhuvoor S Palaniappan, Smt. Kala Senthilnathan, Smt Sridevi Sendhil (Australia) sons & daughters of Vazhuvoor Samraj are also carrying out in this field. They have performed a number of performances in India and Abroad.
Thus by following the footsteps of their ancestors, they held to hold the vazhuvoorar flag up high.
2008- Smt. K.J. Sarasa
2009- Smt. Thirlupurasundara- Sri lanka
2010- Dr. K.J. Yesudass
2012- Dr. Paolma Subramanian
2013- Padmashree. Kanaka Srinivasan