The Debaprasad Das Tradition: Reconsidering the Narrative of Classical Indian Odissi Dance History Paromita Kar a Dissertation S
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THE DEBAPRASAD DAS TRADITION: RECONSIDERING THE NARRATIVE OF CLASSICAL INDIAN ODISSI DANCE HISTORY PAROMITA KAR A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY GRADUATE PROGRAM IN DANCE STUDIES YORK UNIVERSITY TORONTO, ONTARIO DECEMBER 2013 @PAROMITA KAR, 2013 ii Abstract This dissertation is dedicated to theorizing the Debaprasad Das stylistic lineage of Indian classical Odissi dance. Odissi is one of the seven classical Indian dance forms recognized by the Indian government. Each of these dance forms underwent a twentieth century “revival” whereby it was codified and recontextualized from pre-existing ritualistic and popular movement practices to a performance art form suitable for the proscenium stage. The 1950s revival of Odissi dance in India ultimately led to four stylistic lineage branches of Odissi, each named after the corresponding founding pioneer of the tradition. I argue that the theorization of a dance lineage should be inclusive of the history of the lineage, its stylistic vestiges and philosophies as embodied through its aesthetic characteristics, as well as its interpretation, and transmission by present-day practitioners. In my theorization of the Debaprasad Das lineage of Odissi, I draw upon Pierre Bourdieu's theory of the habitus, and argue that Guru Debaprasad Das's vision of Odissi dance was informed by the socio-political backdrop of Oriya nationalism, in the context of which he choreographed, but also resisted the heavy emphasis on coastal Oriya culture of the Oriya nationalist movement. My methodology for the project has been ethnographic, supported by original archival research. In the second chapter, I examine the twentieth century history of this stylistic lineage in the context of the Odissi revival of the 1950s, and in the third chapter, I examine the life and artistic work of its founder, the late Guru Debaprasad Das. The iii fourth chapter is dedicated to analyzing the stylistic characteristics distinct to this style of Odissi, and examining some of the underlying politics of representation, classicism, and regional affiliations which have informed the repertoire and movement lexicon of this lineage. I point to how this lineage has been historically marginalized in scholarship, discourse, and the international stage, and analyze some of the reasons for this marginalization. The fifth and sixth chapter are dedicated to the current practice of the lineage, including pedagogical practices by current teachers, as well as examination of the creation and performance of new repertoire pieces within this lineage, and the various contexts in which this style of Odissi is performed globally. Ultimately, I examine the divergent artistic voices from within the Debaprasad Das lineage itself and argue that the Debaprasad Das lineage of Odissi is itself marked by heterogeneity via multiple and often divergent understandings of the philosophies of the late Guru Debaprasad Das. iv Acknowledgements This project would not have been possible without the assistance, guidance and support of a large number of individuals. During the course of this project, I have stayed for different lengths of time with the family of Guru Durgacharan Ranbir, and I am grateful to him for his steadfast guidance in areas of both dance instruction as well as my research into the history and stylistic peculiarities of the Debaprasad Das lineage of Odissi, and for the continual support and hospitality extended by my guruma, Srimati Aarati Ranbir, and Gayatri Ranbir in the Ranbir household. My deep gratitude to those who have shared their memories of the late Guru Debaprasad Das with me. These include Poulami Guha, Geeta Mahalik, Puspita Mishra, Rosemary Jeanes-Antze, Srimati Priyambada Mohanty- Hejmadi, Vani Madhav, Dr. Sunil Kothari, Guru Sushant Raut, Srimati Sangeeta Dash. Here, I must also mention Sukanya Rahman, who not only shared with me her reminiscences of the late Guru Debaprasad Das, but also his original voice recordings, both taken in the studio, as well as informal voice recordings from their home in New Delhi, as well as the handwritten notes taken by herself and her mother, the late Indrani Rahman, on the original compositions of Guru Debaprasad Das. It was at her home in Orr’s Island, Maine that I first heard the voice of the late Guru Debaprasad Das. She also kindly donated some invaluable original archival video and audio material on Guru Debaprasad Das to York University. These are currently housed in York University’s Clara Thomas Archives at Scott Library. I would like to thank Michael Moir and Anna St. Onge at the Clara Thomas Archives for digitizing these archival materials. v I deeply appreciate the guidance and insights provided by my primary advisor, Professor Patrick Alcedo. I would also like to express my appreciation for my supervisory committee members Professor Danielle Robinson, who also was the first to introduce me to the discipline of Dance Ethnography, and Professor Dorothy De Val, whose feedback on my writing has been invaluable through the entire process of this dissertation. My gratitude also to Professor Norma Sue Fisher-Stitt for her guidance during the doctoral journey, and to Department Administrative Assistant Louise Malisani, for her tireless work in ensuring the smoothness of the student experience at York University's Dance Department. My second venture into the field was made possible by an Arts Fellowship by the Shastri Indo-Canadian Foundation. I extend my gratitude to Dr. Prachi Kaul at the Shastri New Delhi Office, and Mahmuda Aldeen at the Calgary Shastri Office for their assistance with the administrative aspects of this fellowship. I fondly remember the engaging discussions with South African dancer- scholar Merle O’Brien in Guruji’s house in Bhubaneswar, and am grateful for the perspectives and insights offered by her, and would also like to thank journalist and scholar Shyamahari Chakra for the engaging discussion as well as for showing me the Odissi library in Bhubaneswar. I am also grateful to the assistance in Oriya translation rendered by Professor Sandipan Mishra. The fieldwork experience during the course of this project has brought me into contact with a number of young dancers, each with their own unique perspectives on this vi lineage of Odissi, each of which have been significant influences in the writing of this dissertation. Among these are dancer and scholar Rahul Acharya, Dipti Routray, Sasmita Mohanty, Sonali Mohapatra-Nanda, Aniruddha Das, Kakoli Paramguru, and my first Odissi teacher, Guru Sushant Raut. For his unique perspective and dancing wisdom, I fondly remember dancer Manoj Pradhan, or “Debu Bhai.” I also extend heartfelt gratitude to the family who hosted me during different parts of my visits to the field: the family of Dr. Ganesh Prasad Das and Amlan Chakravarty, and the family of Srimati Nibedita Gangopadhyay and Dr. Subhomay Gangopadhyay, with whom I stayed during my research trip to New Delhi. In particular, I would like to thank their daughter Sreemoyee Gangopadhyay, an emerging dancer of this lineage of Odissi, for her enduring friendship and for taking me to visit the family of the late Guru Pravash Mohanty. For their comradeship and support, I would like to mention my Canadian friends Mike Anklewicz, Ida Meftahi and Fethi Karakecili; my classmates Samantha Mehra, Catalina Fellay, Gauri Vanarase of the inaugural class of the doctoral programme in Dance Studies at York University; and finally, Ariane Terveld and Katarina Centrone, who are my first students of Odissi in Canada. I also appreciate the many hours of dancing joy shared with fellow dancers Tulika Sinharoy, Amrapali Ray, Paromita Roy, Victoria Buston, Evdokia Kotsonis, Stephanie Stella, Iana Komarnytska, and the wisdom shared by each of them during these dancing encounters. vii Finally, I would like to mention my family; parents, without the support of whom this project would not have been possible, and my uncle Goutam Kar in Kolkata, for his invaluable help and support throughout my visits to Orissa, and for teaching me my first words in Oriya. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………ii Acknowledgments………………………………………………………………………..iv Table of Contents…………………………………………………………………………………viii List of Photographs.......................................................................................................................ix Chapter One: Introduction………………………………………………………………………….....….1 Chapter Two: The Odissi Dance Revival.................................................................................................60 Chapter Three: The History of the Debaprasad Das Lineage: The Lives of the Gurus............................104 Chapter Four: Stylistic Vestiges of the Debaprasad Das Lineage..........................................................137 Chapter Five: Negotiating the Gharana: An Ethnographer’s Observations of the living Debaprasad Das Tradition ..........................................................................................................................202 Chapter Six: Creative Agency in the Work of the Transnational Debaprasad Das Style Odissi Community......................................................................................................................256 Chapter Seven: Conclusion.......................................................................................................................281 Photographs......................................................................................................................308