|
|
Dances of India
Secularism in Indian
Classical Dance Form
by V. Soumyasri
 Whenever
I begin a new class with new aspirants from different religious
backgrounds or choreograph for some special performance, I ponder where
to begin. I try and think of songs or themes which are adequate for the
situation without any strings attached to a particular faith. It becomes
very difficult but somehow I manage to do with some instrumental music.
These days I am visiting an NGO, they are preparing a small cultural
programme to be put up on the United Nations Foundation Day in New
Delhi. This NGO helps families below poverty line by giving them useful
vocational training and teaching them the benefits of Organic farming.
It’s a setup in rural area, a part of not so very affluent Maharashtra.
As a dance teacher when I visited the place for the first time, all of
them gathered around me. Everybody wanted to see what I was doing or
rather teaching and slowly they all wanted to dance. They are in
assorted age group of 15 to 65 but the enthusiasm was at par. It was
really refreshing and encouraging for me and the interaction with them
is something unforgettable.
I was wondering where to begin, these women coming from various
backgrounds socially and culturally with very little education to boot.
But the first few minutes gave me fair idea; the abundance of desire in
them will definitely make up for the skill. The women have come from
diverse religious, cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
I usually begin my dance class with couple of body stretching, breathing
and yoga exercises, they were trying to repeat all in their sarees
though it was cumbersome, they did not complain. I was trying to correct
everybody’s posture, my urbane upbringing made me even say that they
must take care of their body, here I must mention they were all slim and
almost in shape though rather stiff and clumsy in posture but the age
old cultural baggage made them hesitate to sit straight and erect.
It was not the shyness but was an automatic reaction which is ingrained
somewhere deep in the physic. Now as a classical dance teacher trained
in Bharata Natyam, I began with Namaskar, demonstrated for them a few
times. Everyone tried to repeat in their own way, certainly they were
doing for the first time trying to correct the leg positions, hand
movements etc., they wee around 25, and each one needed my assistance.
I saw one woman (must I say a girl because they marry so young) standing
in the corner not even trying to do anything. I ignored it thinking that
she must be having some problem.
I continued performing the same Namaskar over the next twenty minutes, I
forgot about the girl. Only one or twice I happened to notice that she
was intently looking at the other “dancers”. Practice session was over;
six to seven of them almost learnt how to perform Namaskar. I was also
thrilled at my achievement.
While I was leaving the hall an elderly lady came to me, right from the
beginning I thought she was some kind of a leader, she was polite and
confident. I was wondering what she wanted to ask me. But what she asked
me was really startling.
This is what she asked, “Madam, Shabnam also wants to dance but she
wants to ask her husband first”, Unaware of what the elderly lady meant
I just said “fine”.
But the lady persisted, “Madam, Shabnam is worried, it is Hindu dance
no? It is like Puja no? Shabnam is not Hindu, how will she be able to
convince her husband?”
It was a very difficult situation for me, how can we convince Shabnam’s
husband,
Right from the first step which I was teaching them, Shabnam’s husband
might find it very famous. And it not only Shabnam, there may be
millions and millions of Shabnams.
In the world when we are talking about globalization are we going to
remain as conservative and orthodox as we are today, in the name of
classicism do we have any right to deprive Shabnam, Suzanne or anyone
else whose faith does not match for certain scriptures, and what they
follow as a religious sanctity will deprive them from learning this
great art form of Indian Classical dance which is deeply rooted in Hindu
culture.
The motifs, symbols, gestures, myths, regions, epics used in
performances are predominantly borrowed from Hindu culture.
All these thoughts confused me further and I am trying to find
convincing answer for Shabnam’s husband and I know for sure Shabnam
wants to dance and I hope the day will come soon.
Recently I read in The Times of India’s Sunday section of Q & A with
Navtej Johar, the one of the few accomplished male Bharata Natyam
dancer’s view and I was heartened to know that he feels that somewhere
the saturation point has come in some Indian classical dance forms and
we need to revive it again and he is experimenting with unconventional
and innovative ideas.
Many dancers like Late Chandralekha, Dr. Kanak Rele, Anita Ratnam and
many dancers/scholars have worked and are working hard on these lines to
make it secular and global. I am not losing hope and I think I am
getting inspired to give it a serious thought to this and have some
convincing answer for Shabnam’s husband.
I wonder when this classical art form will truly be global where no
Shabnam or Suzanne will be deprived of learning.
December 16,
2007
V. Soumyasri – An exponent
of Bharata Natyam and Kuchipudi, she is a postgraduate in classical
dance from Nalanda Nritya Kala Mahavidyalaya, University of Mumbai under
the able guidance of Padmashri Dr. Kanak Rele. She has also cleared UGC-NET
(Lectureship) examination successfully.
Her training in dance started at an early age since it is in the family,
she belongs to the family of traditional Kuchipudi gurus and exponents
in Hyderabad (Dr. Uma Rama Rao, Smt.Sumathy Kaushal and Dr. Rajyalakshmi
Seth).
She has been training students and choreographing for the last fifteen
years and has traveled widely and worked in many schools/institutions
and promoted the culture of dance i.e., participation, performance,
perfection, preservation and progress. She has numerous performances in
India at various festivals to her credit. She has successfully conducted
many workshops and lecture-demonstrations and taught students of
different countries in Rishikesh and Mussoorie. She has choreographed
many ballets and dance dramas not only in different classical styles but
also in folk dances and fusion style. She is known for her unique
choreographic ability and also written many articles for prestigious
journals and dance online magazines. She has also worked with
spastic children by using movement therapy.
Her aim is to spread the knowledge of dance not only as an art but also
as a therapy and an education/vocation
Top |
Dances of India
|
|
