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PAPER 4

Detail Study Of , Girls, Nritta, , Different Gharana-s, Present Status, Institutions, Artists Module 19 Higher Education And Vocational Opportunity For Kathak

From time immemorial, has always been part of Indian life and its celebrations. Be it wedding or award ceremonies, the event cannot be completed without the shaking of a leg, as dancing is an intrinsic part of Indian culture. However, there are differences of customs and occasions when dance is danced and in the hue and texture of the dance forms which are typical to certain parts of the country and have taken on the flavor of the region.

The two main divisions of dance are classical and folk forms. The folk require no formal training, but classical dance and certain traditional dances do have formal training involved. This training regimen is often almost as demanding as that of classical dance. In this category are included the Chhau dances of Purulia, Mayurbhanj and Seraikela, of , Vilasini Nritya of Andhra Pradesh and Telengana, and the dance of the of Orissa. Although not classical, these dance forms are based on ancient dance discipline. has eight classical styles of dance, which are frequently seen on stage, Bharatnatyam, , , ,

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Kathak, Mohini Attam, Manipuri and the latest to join this pantheon – , from Assam. To begin with, not everyone can dance. The texts that support dance themselves describe the ideal dancer, and identify a range of qualities that she should possess. Among the qualities that a dancer should have is the beauty of the body. This is stated in the Ratnakara. The beauty referred to here is not the beauty of a beauty queen an actress or a model, but beauty here refers to a regularly formed, proportionate body and a pleasant visage. The Abhinaya Darpana has a shloka that describes the ‘Patra Prana Dasha Smrutaha / पात्र प्राण दश स्मतृ :’- the ten essential qualities of a dancer. The dancer must have Javaha / जव or agility, Sthirathvam / स्थर配वं or steadiness, Rekha / रेखा or graceful lines, Bhramari / भ्रमरी or balance during pirouettes, Drishti / 饃ष्टी or attractive glances, Shramaha / श्रम or the capacity to work hard, Medha / मेधा or intelligence, Shraddha / श्रद्धा or devotion, Vacho / वचो or good speech and / गीतं or singing abilities. Additionally, a professional dancer or patra, according to the Abhinaya Darpana, must be youthful and slender, beautiful with large eyes, with a proportionate figure, self-confident witty, pleasing, well aware of when to dance and when to stop, able to follow the flow of songs and music, and to dance to the time (thalam), with splendid costumes, and of a happy disposition. Even the Natya states, that the narthaki or female dancers are required to be women who have beautiful limbs, are conversant with the sixty-four arts and crafts or ‘kalas / कला’, are

2 clever, courteous in behavior, free from diseases, always bold, free from indolence, inured to hard work, capable of practicing various arts and crafts, skilled in dancing and songs, who excel by their beauty, youthfulness, brilliance. All of this is a tall order. Further the dancer has to be trained thoroughly over many years. Training in traditional and classical Dances can be started from very early age – usually from the age of five or six. wait for legs to become strong before taking on a student, for if the legs have not formed strongly then there could be permanent damage to the bones and the body’s structure. Normally when a dancer learns a classical dance they have to work not just on body conditioning, for flexibility, endurance and stamina work apart from sthanakas, stances, movements, gatis and charis, , abhinaya, music, tala and literature. Only after years of practice under the guidance of a good that all these elements coalesce and things start to fall in place. Thereafter, when the guru deems it fit, in case the dancer is learning under the guru-shishya-parampara, and in case the training is happening in the university or institutional system, as per course requirement, the dancer gets to make her formal entry on stage. But to be a professional dancer, programmes and bookings need to come, so that the reputation can begin to be built. Initially the guru may help, but after a while programmes have to begin coming on their own accord. Some degree of effort has to be made by the dancer too! If the career takes off, then there will be no looking back. But sometimes careers do not take off at all, or the student has learnt dance, but don’t want a career in practice. What are the

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options then? We discuss this alternate menu card of career choices with reference to a dancer who has been trained in Kathak. a) Teachers of dance: This is the route most dancers who do not go into performance careers adopt. It is well within the comfort zone, and has a steadiness that the uncertainty of a performance career does not permit. Hard work, patience, an organized mentality, and the capacity to deal with young people and their many distractions are some of the challenges that a dance teacher has to accept. A good space to run the school, publicity, and accompanying musicians will be necessary. But like all journeys, even of a thousand steps begins with one step; small beginnings contain the seeds of a grander future. Teaching is also a career that many performing dancers take on because there does come a time when the human body cannot continue to take the rigors of daily performance and when programmes dry up, this is a safe fall back option. In the years when teaching has to accompany performance schedules, things are sometimes breathlessly rushed and cause stress. Many dancers deal with such situations by calling in senior students to help out. The joy of seeing oneself giving back to the field, and the joy of producing a good next generation dancer cannot be measured. They say it is good fortune to find a good teacher, but equally it is good fortune for a teacher to find a good student. b) Choreography: Even if you do not pursue a solo performance career because it may be just too demanding and even by temperament you may not be pushy enough, choreography is a fascinating option. Qualities that are expected out of a choreographer are that they must have a positive energy, be aware of the options in the language

4 of dance and they must be able to see patterns in dance that enhance its impact even before they come into being. Some of the opportunities here are:

1) Dance Reality Shows: These offer wonderful examples of how a choreographer works. The choreographer needs to know all sorts of dances because he has to create new movements from them, either by using them as they are or by being inspired by them. That is why choreographers know a vast range of national and international dance traditions. It will not suffice then to just know Kathak or or Odissi alone. For instance Kathak will certainly stress upon grace, a sense of aesthetic movement and a strong grasp over rhythm, but exclusively Kathak-based options may be few. 2) Choreography in Movies: Movie choreography is also a possibility. There, once in a while you may get a Kathak only requirement, as did Lachhu Maharaj and Gauri Shankarji got for Pakeezah, or Kumudini Lakhia in the film Umrao Jaan, or Birju Maharaj for Devdas or Vishwaroopam. But the chances that you will get the call will depend on whether you are a legendary name in Kathak. The legendary name comes from having a performing career or a great body of work as a Guru. There are more chances that despite your training in Kathak, you will be called to choreograph a ‘situational’ song. Therefore, even if your training has been initially only in Kathak as a choreographer you have to keep yourself abreast with other dance forms as well, including foreign forms. As a film choreographer you should also learn the rudiments of camera, lighting and editing as these elements make a big difference in

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how your choreography comes through. This all round understanding of the medium that a film choreographer requires often equips him or her to become a director and the examples of Prabhu , Farah Khan and Remo D’Souza stand before us. 3) Fashion Choreography: Usually fashion choreographers seldom get seen in the limelight. This is one of the invisible jobs at a fashion show. The effort of a fashion choreographer is to get the best out of a fashion show. A fashion choreographer is the one who helps the models and the designer to convey his or her designs to the audience in the best way possible. As his or her endeavor plays a vital role there are certain qualities he or she should possess to showcase the best. So what are these qualities? First and foremost, he or she should be an expert of different styles of walks. Because keeping the artistic objective of the show, style of walks would differ. Fashion choreography is a creative art. Hence he or she should have strong sense of style, form and colors. They should have a thorough knowledge about all aspects of style, fabrics and garments, so as to be an expert in selecting the suitable theme for presenting the assigned designer’s clothing line to the audience. A fashion choreographer has to train the models in ramp walk, postures and poses. As music plays a great role in a show, a choreographer would be expected to keep up with a wide range of music, so as just the right music be selected, keeping the theme in the mind. A strong sense of style and fashion would be a necessary driving force. A fashion choreographer has to work long hours just before a show and work intensively. Therefore personal qualities of time management, endurance,

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patience, stress management a sociable personality, being willing to travel and being very organized would be of great help. A fashion choreographer should be intuitive and should have a general idea about what people would like to see and what would make a show aesthetically perfect. For advancing further you can keep in touch with various fashion magazines and blogs, so that you are always updated on the current trend. They are also creative and innovative and unconsciously force a viewer to be enticed by whatever is exhibited. An eye for detail and a dynamic mind is a must for becoming a Fashion Choreographer. There is no formal training for this, but much benefit can come from assisting an established fashion choreographer and learning on the job. 4) Wedding Choreography: The wedding planning industry is flourishing to such an extent that it is valued at 40 billion dollars. Shaadisaga, a start-up aimed at the very rich resident and NRI market, started by two IITians has attracted venture capital funding earlier this year. This gives an indication of how burgeoning and optimistic is the scene for wedding choreographers. The expectations from wedding choreographers is to train the bride and groom for their dancing sequences and close family members who may want to do individual or group pieces. The wedding choreographer has to keep a sunny and happy environment all through and be open to adaptations and alterations if the steps are proving to be difficult. In short the wedding choreographer has to do all possible to ensure a fun-filled experience for the family. And with a few wedding choreographies under your belt you may

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just stake out for bigger things like being a wedding planner, where the profits are even higher. c. Academics: As a trained dancer, you have an amazing insight into the art form. Thus were you to study it academically for a Ph.D you would be able to bring a rare perception to your writings. Most teachers of dance studies in Colleges and Universities overseas are dancers who have chosen the academic path. Some continue to balance a teaching and practice career, but the rigors of academia are often such that the practice part eventually suffers. Yet no one can take away the lessons and the experience and you will always have a deeper understanding of the form for having practiced it. Your own understanding of the art will be marked by a reflective content, and you will not just be a reflective practitioner but also a reflective teacher. A further benefit of being an academic practitioner of dance is that the data for a certain type of academic research is already with you. d. Dance/Arts Writer, or Critic: It is a fact that the arts are a specialized discipline and though they were once a very central part of our lives, the detachment of the modern education system, has resulted in us moving away from them. They demand understanding, familiarity and a receptive approach. The media can play a very important role in bridging this gap, but regrettably the space available in the media has been shrinking. Yet there is a need for qualified writers on the arts and the issues around the arts. The space for the arts has to be reclaimed and retained. Someone with an understanding of art, as a trained dancer is, will be better equipped to handle this requirement than someone who is well

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meaning but unfamiliar. The shrinking space in the media is not so much of a bother today in the age of the World Wide Web and platforms like Facebook and blogs. There are several interesting blogs written by dancers. I would suggest going to the following: i) http://lifeofafreelancedancer.blogspot.in/; This is Barry Kerollis’ blog. Barry is a freelance ballet dancer, choreographer, and teacher who started blogging in 2004. Being a freelancer in an industry where most dancers are in companies is tough work, and Barry is open about sharing his experiences so that all his readers benefit. Barry is not afraid to take on difficult topics like standing up for yourself when “dancer’s code” says you should be submissive and when negotiating for better terms. You’ll find great insights for dancers and all independent artistes there. ii) http://rincegobragh.blogspot.in/ This is the blog of Sara Kubic. Sara is a former gymnast turned Irish dancer. She started dancing at 18 years old and began competing a little more than three years later. Since then she’s competed in two North American and two world championships. Her blog chronicles her personal journey as a competitor and educates readers with instructional videos and a glossary of Irish dances terms. iii) http://www.sacredspaceblog.com/; This is the blog of Isabella Putinja, who came to India as an expat spouse and then began learning Odissi. This blog is about her experiences in dance, and she packs it with interesting write-ups, photographs, and information, such that you can go back to it regularly and always come away with some of the energy with which she has created it.

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Some of the younger Indian dancers are writing blogs, but they are not regular with it. Consequently, the blog scene is not as vibrant as it could be. Writing a blog takes a certain discipline and if one decides, for instance, that every Monday the blog will be updated, then people will be drawn to your blog. Otherwise in the multiple attractions of the Internet, your blog will fast be forgotten. The blog serves as a record of your thoughts. It is said that blogs are scouted by publishers to identify the next big writer, so maybe it is worth making the effort. In any case the discipline will serve you well when in a few years you would have generated enough material to mine for a major publication, or even a movie. Remember the lovely 2009 film “Julie & Julia”, which contrasts the life of internationally renowned Chef Julia Child in the early years of her culinary career, with the life of young New Yorker Julie Powell, who aspires to cook all 524 recipes in Child's cookbook in 365 days. She described this challenge in great details on her popular blog that made her a published author. Who know, next it could be a movie ringing with the sound of ankle bells rather than the sound of spoon grazing plate! e. Arts Administration: Increasingly as arts are getting institutionalized, there is a growing need for arts administrators. Some of the most important arts institutions, even at the National level, are being run by former dancers. The last many secretaries of the have been trained dancers, whether Mohan Khokhar (Bharat Natyam), Keshav Kothari (Kathak), Jayant Kastuar ( Kathak; in fact Jayant went back to dancing after leaving

10 the SNA) and even the present incumbent Helen who is trained in Bharat Natyam, Choreography and Folk dances. f. Dance for Fitness: Of all the classical dances of India, Kathak ranks high when it comes to the fitness quotient. It’s not only a strenuous physical workout but since all dancers practice wearing heavy on their feet, it also makes for a weight-bearing exercise. Plus, since the final dance performance tells a story, Kathak dancers will spend hours mastering co-ordination between their facial expressions, hand and leg movements to do justice to the tale.US-based Kathak maestro the late Chitresh Das popularized the concept of ‘Kathak yoga’, which he described as a "union between the mind, body and soul" and an excellent "form of a cardio-vascular exercise". Based on the concept of "innovation within tradition", Das explored the boundaries of Kathak technique and performance and come up with Kathak yoga in which a dancer recites a chosen ’tala’ (rhythmic structure), sings the melody and the ‘theka’ (language of the drum) of the tala, while practising precise complicated footwork. The technique is also being studied as a doctoral dissertation at Harvard University. In India at a very practical level, Vadodara based Kathak dancer Jigna Mehta, who runs Nupur Dance Academy created a special module for such students who wanted to dance to either stay in shape or get in shape, to match a similar module created by senior Bharatnatyam dancer Parul Shah, who created special dancing sessions for women who loved dancing, but were unable to do so. “I use all Indian dance forms, including classical, to create movements. The idea is to enjoy those two hours in such a way that one can shun inhibitions and flow with the music," says Shah. Her efforts bore fruit because a septuagenarian member of her class regained the use of a

11 frozen shoulder. So dance can be easily used for fitness, with a little application of mind. i. Dance for Healing: Healing is an aligning on many levels, an integration of the mind, body and soul. At a simplistic level, healing enlivens mind, body and soul, creates and enhances meaning in life and helps manage stress and negativity. The process has been successfully used by dance, not just for creative transformations but to address physical emotional and spiritual challenges including cancer. Dance has been one of the oldest means of therapy. It has been used therapeutically for thousands of years. It has been used as a healing ritual in the influence of fertility, birth, sickness, and death since early human history. Over the period from 1840 to 1930, a new philosophy of dance developed in Europe and the United States, defined by the idea that movement could have an effect on the mover vis-a-vis that dance was not simply an expressive art. Dance, as any exercise releases endorphins. Although dance has been a method of expression for centuries, it wasn’t until the past half century that it was characterized as a form of therapy. The actual establishment of dance as a therapy and as a profession occurred in the 1950s, beginning with Marian Chance, who later went on to form the American Dance Therapy Association. Dance therapy is used not only in recovery from serious illness, but can also be used to promote positive psychosocial behavior in adults and children.

Indian classical dances are art forms that are learnt for the inherent artistic and aesthetic value. The therapeutic benefits are incidental benefits, got there from. The essence is that the powers of curing itself are always present in the body and have only to be stimulated.

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