Some dance practitioners in India firmly believe that a comprehensive and holistic approach to the study of dance is also multidisciplinary. The International Bureau of Education defines a “multidisciplinary approach” as “an approach focused primarily on different disciplines and the various perspectives they bring to illustrate a subject, theme or problem”. A multidisciplinary course is a course “where the same subject is studied from the point of view of several disciplines”.

Such an approach to dance would therefore include perspectives of more than one art of movement. Dance, as we know, has two dimensions, one bodily or physical and the other mental. Thus, the multidisciplinary approach to dance is also best seen as a two-pronged approach.

It is first of all the dancing body. Here, “multidisciplinary” could mean understanding the bodily aspects of one’s primary dance form through additional learning of other dance styles or movement disciplines. Learning other forms expands the physical vocabulary of the body and increases its versatility, as different dance forms emphasize different aspects of muscle strength and offer different types of body conditioning in terms of flexibility, balance, reflexes. , instinctive awareness, breathing, etc.

Several dancers have used this approach to better understand their body, strengthen it and prepare it for dance, and enrich its vocabulary. Among the former is Uday Shankar, who added elements of European theater, folk and tribal dances to his innovative style. Sitara Devi and Rukmini Devi studied ballet in addition to their main disciplines, Kathak and Bharatanatyam, respectively.

Tishani Doshi and Shaji John performing “Sharira” by Chandralekha at Spaces, Chennai | Photo credit: K_V_SRINIVASAN

Chandralekha turned to yoga in the 1960s in order to “heal” her “dance-torn” body and then incorporated martial arts and movement into her practice. Intercultural dancer Uttara Asha Coorlawala and Kathak dancer Daksha Sheth are other prominent dancers who work with yoga and other forms of movement.

Infuse Kathak with Yoga

When asked why she turned to other movement vocabularies, Daksha said, “Kathak was in my body for 20 years” before she saw Chhau and wanted to explore it. “But for a person who has never squatted – we use totally different muscles in Kathak – my body was not capable.” Through injuries, she realized she needed awareness, conditioning and strengthening. “When I saw a demonstration of Kalaripayattu, I thought, this is what I should learn for holistic conditioning of my body.” She ultimately infused her Kathak choreographies with yoga, Kalaripayattu, and Mallakhamb.

The second “part” of the multidisciplinary approach concerns the spirit of the dancer. It involves, in a sense, the “physical form” of the mind. When I talk about the mind, I include the intellect, but also mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and other aspects – all crucial for dancing. This is best done by an information process of dance with meditative techniques, but also with disciplines like literature, theater, music, art, philosophy and so on. As I had stated in a previous article for this article written in 2012, “For any type of dance, body and mind must be exercised equally and used creatively.”

The hereditary dancers or “devadasis” seem to have definitely approached their art in a “multidisciplinary” way. They were rigorously trained in dance but were also required to have a significant mastery in other arts, be it music (vocal and instrumental), poetry, languages ​​or literature. These former masters of dance knew that learning several disciplines can only enrich their dance and inspire creativity.

‘Namaskar’ by Chandralekha | Photo credit: Sadanand Menon

Like Chandralekha, who drew heavily on sculpture, painting, poetry, literature and philosophy for her dance, Daksha explored multiple disciplines to create a distinctive contemporary body of work that has been critically acclaimed.

Recognizing the value of such is crucial for classical dance, especially its pedagogy, especially if the notions that existed when I was a dance student persist today. With the exception of music, which was seen as complementary to dance, true dedication invariably meant a singular focus on the particular form. A deviation from the theater or sport, for example, was considered an unwarranted distraction. I remember hearing about heartbroken 12-year-olds who had been taken out of dance productions because they had signed up for a weekend acting class or had been tricked into believing that learning a another style of dance or performance would contaminate or dilute their “pure” classical training.

As the understanding of dance, body, inspiration and creativity evolves, my sincere hope for the world of Indian classical dance is that it takes the most holistic approach – a multidisciplinary approach. I firmly believe that this is the most effective way to transformively enrich your body, mind and practice. This confidence does not come just from my own experience as a dancer and choreographer, but from a glance at how some legendary artists have used this approach to their advantage. In fact, maybe it was the secret of their genius.

The dancer and choreographer is the founder-director of Bangalore ‘Vyuti’.

For most dancers across India, especially those whose livelihoods depend on it, their sole focus is to perform, tell stories and spread joy through their art. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic having impacted almost every facet of daily life around the world, dancers, among other performance artists, have sadly been denied all of these opportunities.

However, like most other industries during the pandemic, some of these changes turned out to be positive developments that could potentially highlight new opportunities in the near future.

In one such case, Rekha Raju, a renowned Indian classical dancer from Bangalore, shares her experiences in dealing with the pandemic.

“As a performer, I have always had to travel around the world for shows, conferences, demonstrations, etc. Needless to say, the pandemic has hit my team and me in an unprecedented way. With the abrupt cessation of stage performances and live audiences, we all found ourselves in a state of confusion, with no work and no clear idea of ​​what was going to happen, ”Rekha said, speaking on how to deal with the early stages of the pandemic.

Rekha, having dedicated over 25 years of her life to classical Indian dance, is a professional performer and trainer specializing in Bharatnatyam and Mohiniyattam. She also holds a PhD in Fine Arts from the University of Mysore.

Over the years, she has performed in many prestigious dance festivals around the world and is widely recognized for her contribution to the growth of Indian culture through her artistic endeavors.

Asked about her transition to teaching line dance and her experience in this field, she said: “Being a bit of a traditionalist myself, having developed my passion and love for classical dance with my gurus; teaching my students through a screen was a challenge for me at first. This is all the more important since I had absolutely no experience in the field of technology.

She added, “The blockage that was created made me wonder if I was able to handle a consistent line dance training. Fortunately, I had the support of my students who have been accompanying me for 15 years, to help me get used to the platform.

Having devoted most of her life to learning the art of Indian classical dance, Rekha began training students at her guru’s academy at the age of just 13! It was at the age of 16 that she founded her own dance institution, the “Nrithya Dhama Temple of Fine Arts”, which is still active to this day.

Sharing his thoughts on the changing trend in classical Indian dance, Rekha said, “Never in a million years has any of us ever imagined having to conduct our training like we do. let’s do today. As a dancer and teacher, you want to give your students the full experience of teaching them to express certain emotions and energies through art. It works best when taught in person. However, if there is one thing this pandemic has taught me and my team, it is to adapt. This change of mind has allowed us to open up more opportunities and reach more students around the world.

Rekha is one of the few who have used technological advancements and tools to broaden his horizons amid the pandemic. Asked about the impact of the digital switchover on her academy and student base, she said: “Since we made our transition online, we have noticed a spike in interest from people of different cultures, from different origins and regions to immerse yourself in art. of Indian classical dance. It was quite an honor considering it was an opportunity to help spread our rich culture with the people across the pond.

“Although it took a while for my team and I to adjust to this drastic change in lifestyle, we were able to put things in perspective and look at the situation from a different perspective. Today we have a diverse set of students taking courses from Sri Lanka, Austria, UK, USA, Australia, China and more. While we look forward to reconnecting with our students, we also look forward to reaching more students around the world and helping to spread our great and deep culture, ”she added.

While the global spread of COVID-19 has changed the way we engage, digital culture has proven that there is an undeniable set of growing opportunities as technologies advance. With maximum impact and increased engagement, implementing these technologies in our daily lives will certainly help us prepare to overcome the challenges posed by future crises.

For famous representative of Bharatanatyam, Alarmel Valli, life lived in social isolation during the time of COVID-19 added an additional dimension to her reflection on the relationship between the ancient and the emerging ecology of classical dance. .

During an interview, laureate Padma Bhushan reflected on various questions: the potential to reposition traditional content and aesthetics in a new online space, the choice and interpretation of traditional content to reflect contemporary realities, and the vision of classical dance as an art with a social component that enables self-growth and the growth of awareness of the community as a whole.

Excerpts from the interview:

Inasmuch as artist, you have always been committed to the idea of ​​mastering space in order to create and enhance dance. Can you clarify how you perceive the space?

The dance is constantly evolving and, as my mother often remarked, “No matter how accomplished you are, never forget that you are like a mustard seed compared to the vastness of the art. Every day is part of an endless process of learning and growth.

Speaking of spaces in performance, a complete dancer sculpts not only physical spaces, but psychological and spiritual spaces as well. The importance of this goal depends on the depth and richness of the dancer’s art.

When I was 15, I saw the legendary T. Balasaraswati dance at the Chennai Academy of Music. I remember very well how she stood in front of a microphone on one side of the vast stage and presented a prelude to each dance, singing and embroidering the first line with hand gestures. His countless interpretations of a single Tamil word – vaari (combed) – from a poem and his depiction of the woman painting and dressing her long tresses were wonderfully reflected in his song improvisations.

At one point, I couldn’t distinguish between music and dance, between swaras and text – between dancer and dance. And she did it by standing in a space of about three square feet.

Not everyone can have the genius of Bala Amma. From my experience, I have found that the key to effectively sculpting space, and not feeling dominated or limited by it, is to experience each space as your natural element. Then, whether on intimidating stages or in handkerchief-sized studios, the body adapts and flows outward or contracts, in cadences of motion best suited to large or small spaces. restricted.

With the rise of social media platforms, and more so in these difficult times of COVID-19, art has increasingly sought a place in the virtual space. How do you respond to the idea of ​​presenting dance in this virtual space?

In the Indian tradition, dance, poetry and song are inseparable. But, in our age of sensationalism and larger-than-life physicality in dance, where the search for ‘likes’ and ‘followers’ in the social media world often dictates aesthetic choices, these subtle but vital connections have. tend to be marginalized. However, whenever this seamless connection between music, dance and poetry is evoked and reiterated successfully, it can create powerful and beautiful moments in online presentations.

Alarmel Valli: From a performance of ‘The Forgotten Seed’, a Tamil poem from the Sangam era. Photo: Prasana Venkatesh R.

You’ve mentioned in previous interviews that you grew up in a time when technology wasn’t as advanced and actually viewed that as an advantage. In today’s tech-driven world, what is your attitude towards the role of technology in conveying performance for an online stage?

In my early years of training, we didn’t have televisions, handy cameras, or digital recorders, let alone computers and the Internet. My gurus wouldn’t even allow us to take notes in class. Students were to rely entirely on memory and observation, concentration and introspection. I think this quiet process of intense focus and introspection has unleashed the imagination and enriched creative growth.

But technology is definitely a boon – as long as it doesn’t become a crutch. And it is all the more valuable today for creating effective transitions between physical and digital spaces. The famous filmmaker Balu Mahendra, after seeing Pravahi, a documentary about me by director and screenwriter Arun Khopkar, discussed how the superb camera work gave the dance an intimacy that would not have been possible in a live performance, where tiny and subtle nuances of expression would have been lost to anyone who was not seated in the first two rows.

The filmmaker was referring to an atmospheric Tamil poem Sangam, where Madhu Ambat’s inspired cinematography not only followed, but anticipated the slow progression of an outstretched arm, capturing moments of charged stillness with tight close-ups. The tears in my eyes have multiplied a hundredfold on the big movie screen.

While visiting the Maison de la Danse in Lyon for a performance, I once again saw how magic can be worked on in cinema, in a dance documentary on the art of modern dancer Carolyn Carlsson. The dance was specially choreographed for the camera. In India, however, dance film – as a pas de deux for dance and camera where each medium reinforces the other – must evolve further to give digital performances the same immediacy and warmth as live performances.

While teaching your students, how did you approach their conditioning to create a new aesthetic for an online performance space?

As a child, my mother kept saying over and over again that in order to be a multi-faceted creative artist and not just a virtuoso performer, I needed to enrich myself. [by delving into] literature, poetry, visual arts, history, psychology and philosophy. “If you don’t watch life and nature closely and learn from them, your art will be impoverished,” she said. My music and dance gurus were also the custodians of great artistic lineages that embodied the values ​​of beauty and truth in art.

Alarmel Valli: From a performance of ‘Pushpa Vilapam’, a Telugu poem from the 1930s. Photo: NCPA

I do not specifically train my students to create new aesthetics for online presentations. But I follow the holistic approach of my mother and my gurus when training my students, and I try to educate them to observe, recognize and respond to the beauty and mystery that surrounds them.

Only then, like seeds planted in well-nourished soil that germinate and grow into beautiful plants and trees, can they grow creatively. Then, when the need arises, they’ll discover innovative aesthetic solutions to new challenges, whether it’s dancing in line spaces or something else. And I hope they will do it with truth.

Using the example of a traditional abhinaya literary play, can you illustrate how the content can be approached for a performance where ruptures and existences of social reality are incorporated into a dance performance?

I have always maintained that rather than as a mere social commentary, the enduring human relevance of Indian classical dance lies in its potential to harmonize the physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual dimensions of life. At its best and truest, it is not just a vehicle for self-expression, but an instrument for “knowing” and accessing the divine within.

Whatever the subject, it is when the meaning of dance is suggestive and embodied rather than openly explained that it has the greatest power to move, inspire and transform. Two poems come to mind. Although they are separated in time by some two millennia – one an ancient Tamil Sangam poem and the other a modern Telugu poem written in the 1930s – both reaffirm the inseparable connection between the human and natural worlds. .

The forgotten seed, from the Sangam era, revolves around a laurel tree under which a young couple indulges in love games. A friend of the heroine subtly recalls the indelicacy of their banter under a tree that they had tenderly nourished with a seed, which is therefore their little sister and which, their mother told them, is much taller than them. .

In stark contrast to the heroine’s friend’s teasing tone in the Tamil poem is the agony, bitterness and pathos of the flower protagonist of a Telugu poem, a performance I premiered in January. from last year. Here a pious devotee is torn between his deeply rooted belief in the rite of pushpanjali (worship with flowers) and his new awareness of flowers as sentient beings. If the violated nature could speak, it would be like the lament of the flower in the execution of Pushpa Vilapam. There are no easy and topical eco-messages here. Yet the two poems, with their embodied meaning and sub-texts, are an urgent and powerful cry for the environment.

Navina Jafa is vice-president of the Center for New Perspectives, a think tank that works on intangible heritage, traditional knowledge through research and pilot programs for sustainable development.

* Watch Cassandra’s story tonight at 6:30 p.m. on Milwaukee Tonight *

BROOKFIELD – Kripa Baskaran is the founder and director of the Natyarpana Dance Company and is well known for her performances of Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance.

So, I thought I was going to learn to do a traditional Indian dance, but meeting Kripa I knew there was so much more.

I would like to share with you my first impressions; Kripa, although small in stature, is a huge and welcoming presence, a light so bright that I felt warm in its glow. I felt the calm and peace of her home immediately upon entering her home.

She invited me to her prayer room where we sat on her prayer mat for our conversation. Kripa was fascinating as she spoke about her life in India and her passion for dancing, and the importance of Bharatanatyam.

Bharatanatyam is probably the oldest form of classical dance and the mother of many forms of Indian classical dance. And I was going to find out in an hour… yeah, no!

Instead, I was drawn to sharing Kripa, as she spoke from the heart with her whole body. It was a beautiful sight to see.

Eventually we went to the dance studio and my suspicions were confirmed. I wasn’t able to add much to the dance, but I left Kripa Baskaran with a real sense of expansion.

You can learn more about Kripa by clicking on here.

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