Credo of a Dancer - Part 1 l Who was Balasaraswati behind all the eulogies and accolades l MOPA

‘Credo of a Dancer’is an hour-long documentary specially produced by MOPA Foundation as part of an in-depth exhibition on T Balasaraswati during her birth centenary in 2019, in collaboration with Balasaraswati Institute of Performing Arts, Chennai. This is the 1st part of the documentary. Look out for never-before-seen footage of Birju Maharaj, Ravi Shankar, Uday Shankar, Ra Ganapathy, Rukmini Devi and many others. These were shot in the 1970s but never saw the light of day. So why Balasaraswati? Hers is an important story – of hard work bordering on penance, uncompromising standards and sheer grit. As a young child, how did she bear the severe and relentless training under Kandappa and her mother? She is said to have collected dolls throughout her travels. It was her way of compensating for lack of a regular childhood, as she once hinted. How did it feel to have her way of life and system of beliefs suddenly outlawed? What was her fall back? This documentary is a mission to facilitate connections between