The diva of Bharatanatyam

The term “mother-in-law” evokes different connotations. Here, in South Asia, it usually refers to the husband’s mother. But in the West, the term generally refers to the wife’s mother. And invariably in both, vilification is the norm. So it was a delight to encounter Douglas M Knight Jr’s well-researched tribute to his mother-in-law, the renowned Bharatanatyam dancer Balasaraswati, “seventh-generation descendant of the musician and dancer Papammal from the eighteenth century Thanjavur court.”

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