Is there a ceiling on the dance floor?

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Sandhya Raju

Classical dance in India is dominated by the notion that only the work of a seasoned stalwart matters. A Hema Malini or a Mallika Sarabhai are all that’s worth caring about, a notion that perhaps originates in the conservative Indian approach that upholds adherence to a form of dance and the ‘mature’, well honed dancer who has stuck to her craft for decades.

Today, however, equally talented young dancers are working wonders with their craft, their innovations furthering the global appeal of Bharatnatyam, Odissi and ballet. French dancer and choreographer Celine Pradeu-Kanagasabai has been wowing global audiences with her contemporary dance, inspired by Bharatnatyam. Ramalinga Raju’s daughter-in-law, Sandhya Raju, endowed with classical beauty and knowledge, has made a substantial contribution in Andhra. Yet, these performers remain at the peripheries while cliques constituted by the well known prevail.
The art world is a harsh task master and gaining acceptance here takes longer, according to Savitha Sastry, who has done pioneering work in Bharatnatyam with modern choreography, using narratives and stories that bring the past into relevance for the present-day viewer. “This is true of arts across the globe,” she points out. The performers who get corporate backing, or have been practitioners for a longer period of time and received greater exposure are the ones that have custodian status. “If they have been performing this long, they must be doyens of the art as well; after all, a dancer without technical prowess is unlikely to survive that long in a professional arena,” she says. They don’t get noticed that quickly because, unlike film, which is entertainment for the masses, the performing arts take longer to take a younger talent in it seems.
The concept of ‘custodianship’ in dance annoys Madhu Natraj of the STEM Dance Kampni, Bengaluru, who points to the fact that those who have been around the longest become arbiters of taste and talent automatically. “Why are younger artistes’ views and works not taken at face value? There are odious comparisons made with the ‘genius’ of the chosen, media-savvy few when they decide to deride a youngster. And when a performer’s work is hugely appreciated by the audience, these ‘custodians’ again step in to say that the work is copied from their own.” She thinks that such ‘custodians’ playing an irresponsible role could harm the progress and evolution of the arts and their embrace of variety and nuance.
Maybe the young do need a few icons in dance, suggests Isha Sharvani, actor, dancer and daughter of renowned exponent of Kathak Daksha Sheth. “The stalwarts are who, we, as young dancers, need to look up to, to be inspired by, to learn from their knowledge and expertise. In our country, we are always looking outward to the west, there are very few custodians of our art and culture left,” she says. “I believe dance does not exist in isolation,” she says. “So, I am constantly on the lookout to amalgamate the creative genius of designers, musicians, philosophers and kaarigars to bring in more meaningful dimensions to my work,” she says.
When it comes to the pecking order, comparisons are irrelevant, with there being sufficient room for a Hema Malini and a younger crop of performers. Savitha’s approach is key to understanding this. “My recent productions Music Within and Soul Cages have followed the route of narrating a story (not out of mythology, as is usually the case) using the language of pure Bharatnatyam. The idea is to show the audience at large that ‘traditional’ does not have to mean ‘boring’ or ‘mystifying’. This is a method that my husband A.K. Srikanth (also the author) and I have devised. The music is specially created for the performance, and we also use professional lighting and voice-overs to further help tell the story.” Their sincerity to the art form is the same and perhaps even their adherence to the essence. But they have too a fire in the belly to innovate and reach out to an evolving audience base.
Shallu Jindal, a trained Kuchipudi dancer and wife of Congress MP, Navin Jindal, points to the importance of encouraging plurality. “It is good to evolve and move with the times, but the essence of the art form should always remain intact,” she says. “While age-old dance forms must be retained as the basis of the modern classical dance, yet new forms, movements and paradigms of dance must be continuously explored, visualised and choreographed so that existing forms do not become stale, stagnant and outdated. Fresh movements, expressions, music and renditions must be introduced, and it is being done in the form of fusion. But fresh blood and buoyancy needs to be added to existing dance forms and structures.”
Celine Pradeu-Kanagasabhi, a French national who mixes Bharatnatyam in her contemporary performances, says, “I don’t live in India throughout the year. But I’ve noticed that in classical dance, the dancers are performing until they are advanced in years. Maybe in India, the focus is too much on old dancers than on fresh faces. In France you find some old dancers, in contemporary form and not in classical form. But you do find old choreographers.”
She adds, “That is difficult for young choreographers to be focused on compared to old and well-known choreographers. In contemporary form, dancers are not very famous, the focus is more on the choreographer.”
Shallu Jindal says, “Dance should be made broad-based in an institutionalised manner, starting at a very young age. Talent must be identified, developed and honed at the school level, opportunities given and scholarships in the performing arts provided by the government. If this is not done systematically, perhaps newer icons will not get a chance to earn that halo worn by the seasoned few.”
Sandhya Raju, who has trained under Padma Bushan Dr Vempati Chinna Satyam and Kishore Mosalikant and daughter-in-law of former Satyam head-honcho Ramalinga Raju, says, “Every dancer must also look at passionately promoting themselves and packaging it to suit the audiences. Older ones by virtue of being around have built a brand value.”