It is said that Martha Graham came to Chennai, was scheduled to watch Bala’s specially commissioned performance for a few minutes, but ended up watching it for over two hours.
(‘Mesmerised by Balasaraswati,’ by Aruna Sairam, The Hindu Friday Review, Feb 9, 2018)

Balasaraswati performed all over India and the first overseas performance took her to Tokyo in 1961. It is documented that she was a little nervous about the kind of response her art form would get from an audience that was accustomed to Western style. Bala swept them off their feet with her brilliant offering, which moved the Earl of Harewood to say: “I have seen one of the three greatest dancers in the world today - Balasaraswati. The other two are Galina Ulanova and Margot Fonteyn.”
(‘Tracing Balasaraswati’s journey,’ The Hindu Friday Review, Feb 9, 2018)


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