A dance opera that blends Bharatanatyam with complex math and video games

The preview whetted the viewer's appetite, if one is looking for a fusion of binaries and visually amplified glimpses of Tamil aesthetics and culture

For Bharatanatyam dancers, performing barefoot is binding, observed Jayalakshmi Eshwar. And yet, here she was, sharing the stage with her disciples with a musical ensemble that included a disc jockey, in shoes.

The audience at New Delhi’s Triveni Kala Sangam, who had just watched the preview of a Bharatanatyam dance opera titled Antariksha Sanchar, laughed approvingly. For this was a unique performance that blended a classical dance with visuals from a video game and music that was largely Carnatic with a sprinkling of Western notes — all anchored by a tale of math genius Srinivasa Ramanujan’s unique relationship with spirituality.