Renowned Bharatanatyam dancers in the city speak about the increasing trend of NRIs and foreigners performing during Margazhi.
Srekala Bharat with one of her NRI students
It’s that time of the year when big names in the dance and music circuits of the city enthral the audience. Besides the homecoming, what could be more rewarding for expats than to perform on the same stage as renowned artistes, asks seasoned Bharatanatyam artiste Srekala Bharath with a smile. “NRIs look forward to presenting recitals here because of the crowd, and the recognition they get. They are more serious and determined than our artistes. It’s not a competition per se, but they feel good about showcasing their talent in front of such a niche and encouraging audience. Though there are exclusive NRI fests, performers generally put in special effort to come and perform during the December season. No, they don’t come here to vacation. It’s more like appearing for exams,” she says.
So, how does she train the expats? “Of late, learning Bharatanatyam online is catching up and Skype has become an effective tool that unites dance enthusiasts across the globe. The main advantage of Skype is that they can record the entire class and learn the steps later, at leisure,” Srekala adds. Dancer Priya Karthikeyan also echoes Srekala’s views. “In fact, the number of performers coming here during the December season has been increasing every year. Artistes like them need to plan everything a few months in advance, and they show intense dedication to whatever they do,” she observes.
Many youngsters, like 22-year-old Sarveshan, come to Chennai from various parts of the world to perform during Margazhi. He has been learning dance from Bharata-natyam exponent and acharya VP Dhananjayan for the past few years. “I started learning dance when I was three years old and did my arangetram in Cape Town, South Africa in 2006. I came to Chennai in 2012 but I spend six months here, and six months in South Africa. The whole journey has been both emotionally and spiritually satisfying. I have learnt many things from my guru. Performing here gives me more exposure. My stay serves twin purposes, being taught, and watching the art being performed,” he says.
VP Dhananjayan observes that the audience, sabha secretaries and performing artistes have been quite receptive to such foreign and NRI youngsters. According to him, Margazhi has something for everyone. “It provides a platform to both established and budding artistes. Fortunately, the art scene is evolving to be more accepting of these youngsters coming from abroad and performing here,” he notes.
However, the foreigner and NRI presence also means the opening up of more avenues for artistes, says choreographer-dancer-teacher Radhika Shurajit. “The season is quite receptive to the level of art, and pushes one to perform better, improving his or her personal standards. Where else do you get such a wonderful set of gurus to train the artistes? It’s a boon for them and connoisseurs alike. Margazhi not only showcases the greatness of our tradition to Indians, but also to a global audience. However, Bharatanatyam recitals don’t get the crowd that a movie does,” she tells us. Danseuse Uma Rao says that the December fest is a wonderful learning experience for artistes because of the learned audiences, who are a big draw and motivating force for performers.
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( Source : deccan chronicle )
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