Madras Music Season 2007

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Dancing after 45 An article by GS RAJAN

Some sections of the print media reported that the petition filed by the 60-year old Bharata Natyam dancer, Komala Varadan asserting that her name should be under the performing artists' category and not under lecture-demonstration category of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations was rejected by Justice AK Sikri. The ruling pointed out that the rule of the organization being challenged does not allow a dancer above 45 years of age to give performances.

This ruling might have the made the officials of the ICCR, a Government sponsored organization under the Ministry for External affairs, happy since this organization is responsible for sending musicians and dancers to various countries to strengthen cultural relations. (Has the ICCR been strictly adhering to this rule?) However this judgement will indeed spark-off a strong opposition among the classical dancers in India.

There are two sides to this rule. It is different when old dancers perform in India because the audience knows the mythological stories they enact and appreciate the nuances and bhakti rasa which a dancer is able to portray after years of experience and maturity. However these aspects are not relevant at all when they dance abroad. How can they know Tamil padams or Surdas bhajans? It is perfect body and movements that matter for audiences abroad.

Exponent of Bharata Natyam Geeta Chandran points out: "It is body that matters for dancers and audiences abroad, and not the mind. I have seen Leela Samson and Alarmel Valli at their best after 45". Instead of not sending old dancers abroad we should make foreign audiences understand the Indian context. This issue needs to be debated.

Shanta Sarbjeet Singh, senior dance critic and committee member of the Sangeet Natak Akademi remarks: Dancers who are near being senior citizens should diversify into full time gurus using their great experience and knowledge towards the young and the new generation. They can do reserch work in many hidden areas of the classical arts. I applaud the judgement of Justice Sikri in the context of it being focussed on presenting classical dance abroad.

Senior most dance critic Subbudu says 'Natya Shastra prescribes very rigid standards for a dancer's personality. They are more strict than international basic standard. Age certainly has an adverse effect on dancers, both female and male. As the ICCR and the court have correctly said, those dancers above the age of 45 can give lecture-demonstrations instead of solo dance performances. Otherwise dancers with disappropriate bodies would invite demostrations outside the auditorium'.

There is another angle to this issue that needs to be looked into. Supposing the dancer retires after the age of 45, will the Government take care of their expenses? While India boasts of its cultural heritage, it is a fact that the country does not have a clear-cut cultural policy. Such issues will crop up till the Ministry of Culture formulates the much-needed cultural policy.

If the Sangeet Natak Akademi has the authority to decide whether an art form is classical or not (recently SNA announced that Sattriya of Assam will henceforth be a classical dance form), why should not this so-called apex body draft a cultural policy for the nation? Perhaps they are busy organizing festivals to celebrate the golden jubilee.

Can the Zonal Cultural Centres do something? No. Because IAS officers head them who might not even know the difference between Bharata Natyam and Kuchipudi.

There is no hope even if the Government makes a committee to look into this matter. After spending so much money on the high-powered Haksar Committee, which looked into the functioning of Government sponsored cultural bodies, no one bothered to implement the recommendations made by the Haksar Committee.

It is time that the dancers who refuse to retire even after 60 realize the harm they are doing to the art form and to themselves. They should instead promote themselves to gurus, experts and researchers and contibute to the development of classical arts. They can start dance companies and present choreographic works, conduct lecture-demonstrations, guide the young and be happy.

However only time will tell whether rules or rulings will be implemented or not by Government cultural bodies. As long as the term 'exceptional' exists in the Government of India, even a 70-year-old dancer might find a place in international dance festivals representing India. Since some of the leading dancers have polititian boyfriends; officials will be happy to process the file saying: 'may be considered as an exceptional case'. Like they say: Rules are for fools.

by GS RAJAN

Kalpana Raghuraman

Kalpana, a trained Bharata Natyam dancer is an intelligent artist. Saw her choreographic works while I was visitng Amsterdam in October 2007. I was amazed at the way she interpreted her chosen medium of expression. Her ability to fuse styles and forms in right measure indeed impressed me. A Ranjabati in the making?

K J Yesudass

KJ Yesudass, the golden voice of India is a disciple of maestro Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar. He has sung songs for more than 3000 feature films, innumerable albums, Cds. Cent percent blessed by all the Gods of the world.

Avinash Pasricha

Avinash Pasricha. This ace photographer is perhaps the only one in India who has seen almsot all the classical dancers and musicians so closely through his lens.

Ashish Khokar

Ashish Khokar is the editor of 'attendance' The only dance annual publlished in India. He is a dance historian like his father Mohan Khokar who was working as assistant secretary with Sangeet Natak Akademi - National academy of music, dance and drama of India.

Ranjabati Sircar

Here are some pictures of Ranjabati. I will never be able to forget her dancing and her wonderful personality. She decided to end her life in her early thirtees.

Ranjabati Sircar

Ranjabati will be ever remembered for her outstanding experimental dancing. Unfortunate that she died at an young age.

Astad Deboo

Astad Deboo is a top ranking innovative modern dancer of India. His experimental choreographic productions are always an experience to watch.

Arushi Mudgal

Arushi Mudgal is one of the most promising and talented young dancer in Odissi. She is the daughter of vocalist Madhup Mudgal and disciple of her aunty and exponent of Odissi Madhavi Mudgal.

TN Seshagopalan

Veteran Vocalist TN Seshagopalan receives the 'sangeetha Kalanidhi' award from The Madras Music Academy for the year 2007.

Rukmini Devi Arundale

Some pictures of Rukmini Devi Arundale:

Rukmini Devi Arundale

Without Rukmini Devi Arundale, I dont think Bharata Natyam would have reached this stage. She will be ever remembered for her contribution not only to arts in general but also to innumerable activities she undertook as a parliamentarian. It was she who introduced the Animal Welfare Act in Indian Parliament. Unfortunately this country refused to call the act as Rukmini Devi Act. Kalakshetra, the great institution she founded still stands like an elephant but without following her principles and ideas.






This photograph was taken when I was a student at Kalakshetra.

Ali Akbar Khan

Along with Ravi Shankar, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan also performed the world over propagating Indian classical music. Son of the doyen of Hindustani music Baba Allauddin Khan, Ali Akbar Khan's playing of the Sarod is mesmerising. Ali Akbar Khan's sister Annapurna Devi, a maestro in playing the surbhahar was the first wife of Ravi Shankar.

Photograph: Me with Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and Tapan

Yehudi Menuhin

When one talks about Violin, the first name comes to mind is of Lord Yehudi Menuhin. Great maestro Yehudi Menuhin was alo a great composer and conductor.

Amjad Ali Khan

A great maestro who popularised Sarod the world over. Ustadji inaugurated www.artindia.net when I launched this first portal on Indian classical arts in 1988.

Ravi Shankar

The man who took Indian classical music to the entire globe, RAVI SHANKAR popularly known as Panditji is a maestro of maestros. I got an opportunity to work closely with him when he invited me to help him establish Ravi Shankar Centre in New Delhi.

Zubin Mehta

I respect maestro Zubin Mehta. What a great musician and conductor. Besides everything else what a great human being.

Photographs: Zubin Mehta conducting an orchestra and the other picture was taken when he attended my (GS RAJAN) concert in Munich, Germany in 2002.

Amala

Very few may remember that Amala who rose to fame when she became a heroine in films was an excellent Bharata Natyam dancer. She was a student of Sarada Hoffman at Kalakshetra and Rukmini Devi herself has encouraged her to participate in dance-dramas as well as solo dance presentations. I still remember her coming to Kalakshetra riding her cycle everyday.

I must mention here that she is another person who is down to earth. Once I was walking through the busy street near Murundeshwara Temple in Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai while I was a student at Kalakshetra. By then Amala had left Kalakshetra. I was crossing the road suddently a car came a stopped next to me. Amala got down and started chatting with me. People started looking at their heroine stading in the middle of the road chatting with an ordinary dark skinned monkey looking individual. I told Amala that she better go or all the people will surround her. She siad ok and got into the car and asked to join her for tea. I didnt go for tea and that was the last time I met her. Today she is known for her hardwork in protecting animal life. Wish she had come back to Bharata Natyam.

Suphala

Suphala. This young Tabla player will soon make a mark in the field of music.

Suphala

Suphala is young but a great Tabla player. Here is a video of Suphala.

Birju Maharaj

An interesting video where Kathak maestro Birju Maharaj plays the Tabla

Priyadarshini Govind - Video

This is dance video of Priyadarshini Govind. However it starts with an young dancer unknown to me.

Rama Vaidyanathan

Here is a Bharata Natyam video of Rama Vaidyanathan

Priya Venkataraman

Priya Venkataraman is one among the most promising Bharata natyam dancers. A disciple of Saroja Vaidyanathan and later Kanaka Srinivasan, Priya's performances are worth watching.

Uma Muralikrishna

Uma Muralikrishna has a great personality on stage. Her Kuchipudi recitals are pleasing with elegant movements and grace.

Neena Prasad

Neena Prasad with her made a name for her in the field of Mohiniattam in a very short span. Her performance at the Madras Music Academy in 2006 was noticed by people who are highly musical and the critics gave her a superb review.

TM Krishna

TM Krishna is another popular vocalist belonging to the Carnatic system of Indian classical music.

Shubhendra Rao

Shubhendra is a disciple of Pandit Ravi Shankar. Today Shubhendra is a popular Sitar player. He married a musician from Europe, Saskia Rao - de Haas who plays the violin-Cello.

Lalitya Munshaw

Lalitya Munshaw's fascination with music started at the age of six. Her parents encouraged her to participate in the programs of religious music and recognized her musical talent early on. Initially her interest was focused on singing Bhajans but it soon encompassed Hindustani Classical Music. The classical training proved to be a platform for her forays into musical territories of Ghazals, Geet, Thumri, Fusion besides aiding her development of Bhajans.

Urmila Satyanarayanan

Urmila has captured the eyes of critics and rasikas in a very short span and is considered one among the best Bharata Natyam dancers of this generation.

Surupa Sen

Surupa is another excellent exponent and choreographer of Odissi. She is attached with Nrityagram in Bangalore.

Madhup Mudgal

Madhup Mudgal is one of the top ranking vocalists belonging to the Hindustani system of Indian classical music. He heads Gandharva Maha Vidyalaya in New Delhi founded by his late father and maestro Vinay Chandra Maudgalya.

Alarmel Valli

Alarmel Valli is another top ranking exponent of Bharata Natyam who has captured the audience worldwide.

Dhruba Ghosh

The spontaneous power of Dhruba Ghosh's Sarangi playing and artistic calibre can be gauged from the fact that after one of his performances, the world famous cellist Maestro Mstislav Rostropovich rushed to the stage to hug Dhruba.

Madhavi Mudgal and Alarmel Valli Jugalbandi

Madhavi Mudgal and Alarmel Valli, two popular dancers belonging to Odissi and Bharata Natyam respectively have done succesful duets in India and abroad.

Anoushka Shankar

Daughter of the veteran sitar maestro Ravi Shankar, Anoushka is a talented and innovative upcoming musician.

Sudha Raghunathan - Pics

Sudha Raghunathan

Sudha has a golden touch in her voice which enthralls her listeners from all over the globe. There is tantalizing mystery behind that cherubic smile. Her deep relish for tradition and mystical old-world charm is supremely addictive