French Dancer Perrine Legoullon Masters Assam's Sacred Sattriya Tradition

Perrine was first introduced to Sattriya far from its birthplace.

Living in Paris at the time, she attended a performance by renowned Sattriya exponent Adhyapak Bhabananda Borbayan.

"I first saw the Sattriya performance when I was living in Paris. It was a performance by Adhyapak Bhabananda Borbayan. And that's when I first got exposed to Sattriya and got interested in learning about the art form," she recalls, talking to ANI.

Already trained in Odissi, another Indian classical dance form, Perrine moved to India in 2018 after completing her Master's degree, determined to immerse herself further in Indian classical dance.

Delhi became her base, where she began formal training in Sattriya under Adhyapika Meenakshi Medhi.

"I moved to Delhi in 2018, and I started learning with Adhyapika Meenakshi Medhi and completed my Gunin with her," she says.

Explaining the essence of Sattriya, Perrine describes it as both classical and ritualistic.

"So, Sattriya is a classical dance form from Assam, which was the latest one to get that recognition in the year 2000. And it's a ritualistic art form that is still practised in the Satras (Vaishnavite monasteries) of Assam by Bhakats (followers of Sattriya tradition)," she explains.

Rooted in Bhakti, the art form retains its spiritual core. Rooted in the Bhakti movement initiated by Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardeva in the 15th-16th century, Sattriya combines dance, drama, music and devotion.

While the dance form originated within the Satras, Perrine notes that it has expanded beyond monastery walls in recent decades.

"In the past few decades, it has also come out, and thanks to several Adhyapaks that have come out of the Satras, more and more people got to learn Sattriya Nritya," she adds.

Although based in Delhi, Perrine makes a point of visiting Assam whenever possible.

"I'm living in Delhi. When I go to Assam, I visit the Satras. I don't stay there, but I stay nearby and keep going whenever I get the chance to," she shares, speaking to ANI.

As a foreign national practising an Indian art form, Perrine has observed growing global interest in Sattriya.

"I think slowly there are more and more foreigners who are getting to know about Sattriya and are learning it also," she says. She points to the expanding reach of the tradition, noting, "My Adhyapika also has another student who is in Chile, in South America."

Learning Sattriya, as expected, came with its own challenges.

"It's always (important) especially to understand the culture, the language, the meaning of the text, (and) all that takes time," Perrine admits.

While the physical aspect of training was manageable due to her dance background, the deeper cultural understanding required patience.

"It does take some time, especially with the language and understanding the meaning, and understanding the nature of Bhakti also in this specific tradition. It took some time, but now I would say I am more comfortable with it."

Contrary to frequent concerns about cultural disinterest among youth, Perrine believes young people are actively learning Sattriya dance and its traditions.

"Yes, they are practising. I feel that they are practising," she says. "There are a lot of youngsters who are learning Sattriya. Now, if you go to Assam, especially since recognition, it feels that every family has somebody who is learning Sattriya."

She, however, stresses the importance of encouragement through different festivals and scholarships.

Asked what her family's response was back in Paris when she made up her mind to immerse in the Indian art form, she says the family's reaction to her artistic path was one of support.

"Their reaction was very positive. They have always supported me," she says, adding that while her choice surprised them, "they've been nothing but supportive."

Looking ahead, Perrine hopes to take Sattriya to a broader European audience.

"We'd love to plan in the future to have workshops and performances across Europe to try to spread this art form as much as possible," she says, when asked if she would take this art form to the world. Her husband, Partha Pratim Hazarika, an Indian citizen, is also a Sattriya dancer and NSDian.

In Perrine Legoullon's journey, Sattriya finds not just a practitioner but a passionate cultural ambassador of the art form.

- ANI