My creations / Bharatanatyam solo

Ayoga
Vaatsalya.

A conversation
before the first meeting.

I explore the love a mother feels for a child she has not yet met. The moment of meeting becomes a moment of separation — and the bond takes a new form.

Watch an excerpt ▷

Ayoga Vaatsalya — a conversation before the first meeting — Photo: Prasad Siddhanthi · Narthaki ↗

The idea

One life.
Becoming two.

Ayoga Shringara offers the idea of love before the lovers have met. I bring that question into Vaatsalya: the affection between mother and child.

The work moves through expectation, imagined moments of play and the intensity of birth. The physical cord is cut; the emotional relationship continues.

In the 2026 presentation, my English poem Pratyasha (Expecting) forms part of this dialogue. The 2023 Kalpodip Utsav presentation was reviewed as a tribute to my grandmother and guru, Saroja Vaidyanathan.

Concept & choreographyDakshina Vaidyanathan Baghel

Music in the 2023 reviewed presentationSudha Raghuraman · Raga Jog · Misra Chapu

Accompanying musicians, 2023Manohar Balatchandirane · mridangam
G. Raghuraman · flute
K. Sivakumar · nattuvangam

The musical credits above refer to the Kalpodip Utsav presentation reviewed by Dr. Navina Jafa; arrangements may vary by performance. Read the review ↗

Ayoga Vaatsalya at Kalpodip Utsav — Ayoga Vaatsalya, as published in Narthaki’s 2023 review. Photographer not stated. Source ↗

The journey of the work

2021 / An early online presentation

Created to give back.

Shveta Arora’s performance diary records a presentation made for Shishu Mandir in Bengaluru. The full recording is no longer available online.

Read the diary ↗

2023 / Kalpodip Utsav, Delhi

A story carried by movement.

Dr. Navina Jafa’s review documents the piece at the eighth Kalpodip Utsav, India International Centre.

Read the review ↗

2026 / New presentations

The conversation continues.

The archived programme for Expecting! lists the work at Triveni Kala Sangam on 3 May 2026. Leela Venkataraman’s review followed on 28 May.

Explore the programme ↗ Read the response ↗

In motion

A glimpse of
Ayoga Vaatsalya.

Short excerpts shared publicly from Shamiyana at the India International Centre. These open at the original publisher; Instagram may ask you to sign in.

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