Dance practitioners churn out issues through deliberation

The brainchild of Sangita Chatterjee of Kalpataru Arts, the Manthan festival initiated in 2015 combines Saksham a workshop comprising seminar deliberations, providing a knowledge-enriching supplement to the customary performance component.

The 4th edition of Manthan mounted at Triveni Kala auditorium, started with a panel discussion moderated by Navina Jafa the Kathak dancer/scholar who  opened the interaction with a reference to the changing scenario from what was to what is, in classical dance. I cited two contrasting examples - one of Damayanti Joshin years ago performing a meditative, measured “ta thai tai tat” footwork, in computerized laya precision, the dancer’s inner stillness resembling a prayer, and the other picture of a certain modern day Kathak Diva, whose rhythmic overtures, had an aggressively exhibitionistic aura almost bordering on violence. I wondered about the inner tranquility in the old dancer as against the aggression in the other wondering as to what had so changed the attitude of the performer to the art form. Was it, as the moderator felt, spewing from a sense of entitlement and also (contrarily) of low self-esteem? The social media had created another person, an alter ego for the individual who is spaced out in a virtual world,’ while the stage with its real audience, but with the rasikas in the dark was not a lighted place where a dialogue could happen.

Retired television producer Kamalini Dutt, had tackled technology change -- after years of experience with the black and white world, which changed to colour and then to a time of recorded cassettes. She felt that the dancer’s energy too, had to change while interacting with different spaces. Our classical arts ultimately were meant to evoke ‘rasa’ and this could only happen when the dancer was able to annihilate the self by delving inwards, where she as a persona no longer mattered. She also felt that the audience had a part in evoking rasa,  for here,  action and the response to it, work together to create the ambience. Artistes like T.M. Krishna who was singing to deprived audiences far from auditorium space, and Sitarist Shubhendra Roy who taught children in the Nizamuddin Basti, were examples to follow.

Sharon Lowen, the third panelist, mentioned the technical considerations of time, space, energy distribution, motion and above all passion, along with the sound, light and stage craft which could help in producing a spectacular programme.  She  underlined that unless fuelled by deep commitment, an evolving dancer’s mind would remain dry robotic art unable to create an experience or move audiences.

Kathak-centric discussion
The second day’s panel discussion was more Kathak-centred, dealing with the dance and its connection with the text. Senior Kathak Jaipur gharana specialist Prerana Shrimali, spoke of the unique feature of Kathak:  that its major textual legacy was based on rhythmic syllable ‘bandishes’ without the word,  except in the Kavit (where the bol was paired with the word). She also mentioned the Bhajans, Thumris, and a whole world of other poetry that dancers today could base their interpretative dance on. Poetry, Dance and Painting (she mentioned her great advantage in being able to interact with Raza the great painter, who made her understand how the strokes of the brush and the lines in space created by the dancer’s movements could have a dialogue) are connected.

Jayant Kastuar who with his Kathak background served As Secretary of SNA for a long time, spoke of the abhinaya workshops he was conducting on various types of text including  Bargeet compositions of Sankardev, and songs and poetry of Bhupen Hazarika. He stressed the need to follow the Sastras, where the entire process of abhinaya with its various parts has been so clearly defined.  

Guru/Dancer Bhaswati Misra felt that more attention was needed on how whatever text a dancer chose, was being visualized in the dance. She felt that what was being shown, even minimally, was perhaps inadequate and had to be improved upon.

The most telling audience response came from Vilasini Natyam dancer Purva Dhanashree, who pointed out how every text and its interpretation through abhinaya had to ponder on the texture of the text, which called for deep understanding of its hidden meanings. The crux of the entire discussion lay ultimately in the question of how much a student and dance practitioner was willing to invest in grasping what is, contrary to general opinion, a very difficult part of classical dance. She touched on how her training of working with a varnam for over one year, of trying to fathom the nuances of each Padam over six to eight months, comprised a very painstaking process. Ultimately you will reap as you sow. There are no short cuts to art excellence.

Notable performances
Of the performances Purva Dhanashree’s Vilasini Natyam recital, demonstrated in full measure what was being talked about during the earlier part on the second day. Starting with a Mallari in Gambheera Nattai, Purva went on to a Jatiswaram in Kalyani – the rhythmic grace of Vilasini Natyam in the typical moving backwards after a segment of the composition, the body dipping, turning to a side and then taking the frontal movement backwards, the rounded hand movements, the neck and eye glances were all full of a charm and practiced ease, wherein the involvement of the dancer had not a trace of trying to project herself in any way. But what carried the evening along with the starting point of Venkateshwar’s excellent vocal support, with the rest of the balanced musical team, was the abhinaya section based on two Gitagovinda Ashtapadis-  the music setting by the late genius Balamurali ‘Sa virahe tavadeena’ in Vasanti followed by “pravisha Radhe Madhava sameepamiha” in Kosalam set to Khandachapu talam.  Both are built round the sakhi pleading with Krishna that he proceed to meet Radha ( a picture of her is so convincingly portrayed) who wilting in the anguish of separation may not last long and having convinced him, in the second song, she happily urges Radha in joyful triumph to enter Madhava’s intimate world. The quality of the interpretative expression defied description, its intensity holding the entire audience in the total stillness of another world created by the artist. Just the words “Pravisha Radhe” sung countless times with the dancer’s elaboration took one’s breath away. One can only thank the gurus who have fashioned Purva Dhanashree’s totally unspoilt approach to the dance.

The other notable recital, which Kathak Guru Bhaswati Misra can be proud of, was by her disciple Sangita Chatterjee the organizer of the festival. With her fine stage presence and grace, selection of bandishes, (particularly Parans Parmelu) demanding a physicality not frequently seen in Kathak performances, excellent rhythmic grasp( good support by Mohit Gangani on tabla and Ashish Gangani on Pakhawaj) and a well strung abhinaya sequence based on Valmiki Ramayana on Mrig Trishana “Aho roopam aho Lakshmi, swara sambadha cha shobhana, mrigu arbhuta vicitra ango hridayam harati eevame”. The muted singing by Shuheb Hassan, with flute interventions by Rajat Prasanna also helped. Sita’s desire for the golden deer and its consequences were portrayed with restraint, suggestion and without theatrics. But by dancing first and overstepping the time limit, Sangita poached into dancer Upadhyaya’s time.

Sanchita Roy’s Odissi has technical perfection, with each shake of the head and eye and torso beautifully defined in the Hamsadhwani Pallavi. But this dancer needs to be less conscious of herself and develop internalization to give her Odissi the intensity it lacks. “Tolagi Gopadanda Manare” was done with minute variations in mukhabhinaya, and nuances in movement. But again interpretative conviction comes with a negation of self which the dancer needs to cultivate.

Parshwanath Upadhye needs to bring more gravitas into his Bharatanatyam abhinaya, than the present superficial mime narratives that seem to be his choice. More like theatre, he keeps spinning narratives which lack in-depth treatment, as seen in “Baro Krishnaiyya” and the other composition devoted to Goddess Chamudeswari, where the over spun Kalidasa episode became more like a digression. The starting Hamsadhwani invocation from the Mysore Bharatanatyam repertoire and the Balamurali Krishna Gati Bhed Priya Tillana in Adi talam showed the dancer’s grasp over nritta. With his Yoga expertise, Upadhye moves with ease. But his entire programme planning including execution of items shows the lack of proper guidance under a guru. He has the potential but switching banis and not being under constant guidance of a guru is showing.

The writer is an eminent dance critic