A Time to Dance

March 3, 2014
Venkatraman (Island’s End) again follows the maturation of a passionate and serious young woman, this time in a verse novel set in contemporary Chennai, India. After teenage classical dancer Veda loses part of her right leg, her teacher doesn’t believe she can succeed even after Veda is outfitted with a prosthesis. Veda joins a new studio, where her perfectionism and determination clash with her instructors’ philosophy of emotional and religious expression. “You dance like a demon,” her attractive young tutor tells her, envying Veda’s strength while inadvertently highlighting her spiritual shortcomings. Aided by a cast of stock characters—a supportive grandmother, a disapproving but loving mother, and a wise older mentor—Veda sets aside her longing for applause and develops the “three kinds of love.... A healthy love of one’s physical self,/ compassion for others,/ and an experience of God.” Veda’s questions about the nature of God, her growth as an artist while performing a Buddhist tale of grief and acceptance, and her transcendent experiences linked to Shiva, often portrayed as a dancer, lend depth to her spiritual journey. Ages 12–up. Agent: Rob Weisbach, Rob Weisbach Creative Management.

Padma Venkatraman narrates her novel-in-verse depicting a young dancer's struggle and resilience after a devastating accident. Sitar music and Venkatraman's lilting accent orient listeners to the exotic Indian setting. Veda passionately studies the classical Indian dance Bharatanatyam, until a car accident leaves her a below-the-knee amputee. Listeners hear Veda's anguish gradually turn to mature, spiritual acceptance as she overcomes her challenges and learns to dance again with a prosthetic limb. Venkatraman's breathy voice and slow pacing capture the rhythm of the lyrical verse and reflect the meditative, sacred space that Veda inhabits when she dances. S.C. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine