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He is 87 and a bit hard on hearing. But when it comes to teaching Bharatanatyam, guru Pandanallur Swaminatha Pillai loses his walking stick and sternly steers students at Kalakshetra onto the path of tradition.
"Keep your shoulders straight," says Pillai to students, who try to learn the traditional way of performing Bharatanatyam from the master, who is at the arts institute conducting a week-long workshop for performers and teachers. Pillai moves nimbly, belying his age and the legacy of a style of Bharatanatyam, Pandanallur, which was perfected by his grandfather, the late nattuvanar Minakshisundaram Pillai.