The highs of a historic 39th Natya Kala Conference: A hard act to emulate

To attend the 39th Natya Kala Conference (NKC) at Krishna Gana Sabha (KGS) in Chennai was a privilege. Never before have previous conferences met with such stupendous success. As a matter of fact, one of the confreres reporting on the success of the 38th conference had forecast: “In both concept and execution of Sri Krishna Gana Sabha’s 38th Natya Kala Conference titled Aneka, Dr Srinidhi Chidambaram, convener for the third successive year, has raised the bar of the event so high that it is going to be a hard act to emulate for the successor who takes over the baton.”

However, what transpired proved that the successor taking over the baton, Delhi-based Bharatanatyam dancer, Nritya Choodamani and convener Rama Vaidyanathan, both in concept and execution, titled “Nirikshana” raised the bar further high, setting an example for inspiring the successors to convene future conferences with conceptual imagination, hard work, and an ability to execute successfully.

So what was different? First things first. For the first time the convener Rama was bold enough to take a decision that whoever wants to attend the 39th NKC has to pay `500 to attend all sessions for five days. `100 each day for the sessions on that day. KGS authorities were worried over this suggestion. For in the past, before Dr Srinidhi’s convening the conferences, at times not more than 100 rasikas used to attend the morning conference. Dr Srinidhi had succeeded in getting the young generation in large numbers. But then the entry was free!

But with this “pay for the arts” to attend conference, would you believe, the subscription met with an unprecedented response. I have been attending NKC for the past 30 years, but have never seen such surging crowds filling up an auditorium which can accommodate maybe 500 rasikas. And the organisers had to place television screens outside the auditorium so others who cannot be accommodated, can watch the proceedings on the television screen. Not only that, but also with imagination and foresight, convener and her assistant — Aalaap team had announced live streaming with a fee of `600 for audiences in Chennai, India, who cannot attend, and at US $15 for audiences from abroad! That too was a winner. One had to see how from morning 8 am till 2.45 pm when sessions concluded, crowds were seen attending the sessions, managing somehow the breakfasts, coffee and lunch breaks. Ideal arrangements were made for catering.

Today’s social media like Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Twitter were available to talk continuously about Nirikshana and also the competition for choreographic Bharatanatyam works among young dancers across India and abroad, and the concept of Nirikshana was conveyed successfully, prizes were given and the reach to young dancers was phenomenal!

Says Rama outlining the concept of Nirikshana in her “Insights”: “Nirikshana (Bharatanatyam under the Magnifying Glass) seeks to examine, probe, and assess Bharatanatyam as it is today. What transitions it has been through over the years and what can we do better in its already existing and collaborative reach, higher levels of excellence by celebrating tradition and embracing progress?”

“Through dialogues, discussions and presentations, the conference aims to address some of the pressing issues in the world of Bharatanatyam today. Through lec-dems, the conference proposes to place several creative endeavours under the magnifying glass to get a closer in-depth perspective. Through full length performances, the conference attempts to showcase the best in tradition and its continuation, so the Nirikshana of Bharatanatyam comes full circle.”

For Rama, as she says in the convener’s note, conceptualising and convening the 39th Natya Kala Conference has been a very natural and organic process for her: “Right from the start, I was clear that being a Bharatanatyam dancer myself, this form that I have engaged with — as a student, practitioner, performer and teacher — had to play a very significant role in curation. I wanted to project for the dance a vision that was beyond the vision or lens of a dancer; I wanted for it to be seen in its current form and context through the many pairs of eyes; the eyes of a rasika, a critic, a scholar and an organiser… to look at Bharatanatyam through two different lenses: through two different perspectives: one ,a concave lens where we delve deep into the depths of an aspect of the dance form with microscopic vision, and second, with a complex lens where we expand our minds with a macroscopic vision. It will draw a holistic perception.”

A tough proposition. But with the goodwill that she enjoys, she roped in legendary dancers like Bharatanatyam and Odissi dancer Sonal Mansingh, member of the Rajya Sabha, to inaugurate the five-day conference, the three divas of the senior generation, Sudharani Raghupaty, Chitra Visweswaran and Padma Subrahmanyam to re-enact their earlier work of Viralimlai Kuravanji, after screening an early video version for Doordarshan, those three, termed as “dance buddies” when they appeared like apsaras on the screen, the audience cheered them lustily and a wave of nostalgia drowned the audience in their magical performance, captured on video, and then they performed live as they look now, winning rounds of applause!

The conference was flagged off with a bang.

Malavika Sarukkai took the audience to her expanding canvas, her journey of exploring the Bharatanatyam “form” and making it relevant for present times. Her story of the dream of Yudhishthira and the deer talking to him was an exercise in what silence means in dance and how a constant search enables a dancer to expand her canvas.

In a panel discussion, several organisers, local and from other regions, explained how they curate their festivals and present dancers, not that this panel answered all questions, and how to present “young budding talents” waiting in the wings.
The final session saw Mumbai-based Bharatanatyam dancer Vaibhav Arekar and his troupers of Sankhya exploring a traditional Margam Varnam from different perspectives, a devotee looking at the Lord, undergoing states of separation, looking forward to uniting. In terms of the high standard of technique and thinking about the “form” — how to scale artistic heights — Vaibhav and his dancers showed how they are working.

The highlights of the sessions from the second day consisted in early morning 8 am session of a series of “Legacy Lights” presenting banis, styles of legendary gurus and dancers. It was indeed heartening to see full houses on each day and watching the best of the inheritors. Sridhar Vasudevan, a disciple of Vyajayantimala, convinced us all that he is a true devotee and not only a dancer. Narthaki Nataraj, a disciple of Kitappa, stole the hearts of rasikas with her uninhibated shringara presenting a javali, Indira Kadambi displaying abhinaya as taught by Kalanidhi Narayanan to the singing of her husband Ram Prasad as one soul and two bodies, and French male dancer Dominique Delorme, the legacy of Padma Subrahmanyam, who revived the 108 Karanas. He displayed those — astounding audiences with his prolific memory. These sessions were an eye opener both for the senior and the younger generation for the distinct advantage of watching them from close quarters. Each of the four mornings was a sheer pleasure.

The sessions which had Alarippu adventures, performing Alarippu imaginatively, say like playing a game, interweaving navarasas with the rendering of Tiruppughal, dancing like a Garuda and a Jatayu, etc was a delight. Rama had earlier choreographed her own Mayur Alarippu years ago! An Early History of Indian dance in USA by Dr Arshiya Sethi: a panel discussion on Arangetram as a boon or a bane, and Sucheta Chapekar’s performances of Tanjore Nritya Prabandha at her age of 75, and still looking fresh and young and her disciples revealed how that historic chapter of dance during Maratha rulers in the south had such rich treasure.

The conference had varied, challenging (racing against time) sessions offering insights in to multiple facets of Bharatanatyam by the “who’s who” of Bharatanatyam performers. Name them and they all had agreed to participate. Rajika Puri from New York showed rare clippings of dancers of Baroda court, of Shanta Rao, spoke of Bharatanatyam “Then and Now” in an extremely engaging manner. Leela Samson presented her choreographic works, and there was much more which I find difficult to contain in this article.

But what was the most fascinating session was “Transparent Critiquing” in which four dancers volunteered to create their work, perform for 16 minutes, four dance critics were to be picked up from a chit from a box to review their work, watch it and go and sit outside to write the review, during their going out, the dancers and audience would engage in dialogue, then critics would be asked to come, read their reviews and have discussions with critics, dancers and members of the audience. One thought fireworks will take place. It did not. The session was handled with restraint and moderated by Rama with dignity.

Never in the past have I ever participated in such a well thought out session. I reviewed Navia Natarajan’s dance, Praveen Kumar’s Sruti editor Janaki, Janaki Rangarajan’s critic Vijay Sai, and Lavnya Ananth’s Leela Venkataraman. Such sessions need to be carried with more time.

For want of space I will have to forego to comment on all other sessions. From London Raja Rani and her troupe brought interesting work using a Bharatanatyam technique so imaginatively used for the game of baseball. The young in the audience loved it. From Singapore’s Apsara Arts dance work “Anjasa” — path of Buddha was excellent. Congrats to Rama Vaidyanathan, the Aalaap team, KGS for such an amazing conference. It has raised more expectations for the next 40th NKC in December 2020.

The writer is an eminent dance historian