The initial inspiration for me to take up dancing came from seeing performances of Gauri Ammal when I was very young. If this lady had not brought the dance to such a stage of development, the combination of music and dance that I have attempted to realize would not have been possible.

Balasaraswati (May 13, 1918 – February 9, 1984), full name Tanjore Balasaraswati, was a celebrated exponent of Bharatanatyam, the Indian dance form. Her art is a rendering of a classical dance style from her home state in the South India in Tamil Nadu. She was instrumental in popularizing this style of dancing not only in India but also in many countries of the world. She was the recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian honour given by the Government of India, in 1977. She was also honoured with the title of Sangita Kalanidhi in 1973 by the Madras Music Academy, South India's highest award for musicians. Her special achievement was her inclusion in a compilation of the Dance Heritage Coalition, "America's Irreplaceable Dance Treasures: The First 100" (2000), the only non-western dancer to get this position. Satyajit Ray the well known Indian film maker made a documentary on her creation.