Rathna Kumar laments the growing pay-to-perform culture in classical dance

Known affectionately as ‘Rathna Papa’ when she first stepped into the dance classroom as a child, Rathna Kumar completes 75 years in dance this year. Yet, after a lifetime devoted to Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi, she rejects the idea of artistic finality. “You never master dance,” she says. “You remain a student all your life.” Bharatanatyam formed the foundation of her training under K.J. Sarasa, who accepted her as her very first student, while her transition to Kuchipudi began under Vempati Pedda Satyam before she came under the tutelage of Vempati Chinna Satyam, with whom she continued her training, rebuilding her technique from the ground up. Studies in Kathak, Mohiniyattam and Odissi further enriched her understanding of movement, and an early encounter with the legendary Ram Gopal, who urged her to devote herself entirely to Kuchipudi, foreshadowed the path her career would eventually take. Looking back, she believes dancers should first establish a firm grounding in one tradition before embracing another.