Tradition and modernity are always on opposing sides, and even more so when it comes to preserving cultural art forms such as Indian classical dance. With the International Dance Day coming up on Friday, April 29, practitioners of forms such as Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi and Kathak say that embracing both sides of the debate is what has helped their forms not just survive, but thrive today.
Ta-tai: Kathak danseuse Mangala Bhatt
“What was considered ‘new’ twenty years ago has become tradition today. We constantly absorb new things along our journey,” says Kathak dancer Mangala Bhatt, and adds, “The technique is the same, but the treatment is new and that is why it’s always fresh.”
Adds Kuchipudi expert, Kaushalya Reddy, “As our guru Raja Radha Reddy says, art cannot be a stagnant form. It’s like a river: It flows and changes with time so that it keeps up and stays alive. But at the same time, your banks — your tradition, style, techniques — should not be compromised and remain intact.”
Anupama Kylash, who practices Kuchipudi and Vilasininatyam, agrees but says that the incorporation of modern styles within traditional forms has diluted the understanding that dancers need to have of the art. “It used to be like a gurukula system, but now we have institutionalised it. We also have BAs and MAs in art forms, so it has its pros and cons — you get to be a dancer really fast, but you don’t really get to understand the depth that you would have, if you had trained for several decades under just one guru.”
But the interest in the art form has been seen as a positive sign among the community. “Classical art forms will always be niche, it will never be mass. But today, a lot more people are learning music and dance. There was time when nobody from ‘good families’ were supposed to even dance, but today everyone is teaching their kids.
So that way there is a wider interest among the youngsters,” adds Anupama. However, danseuse Yamini Reddy says that taking the time to understand the art is what’s missing in the way people perceive dance. “I find people not waiting and giving time to understand the art. They’re in a hurry to finish their training. Like good wine, it has to age and grow and become a part of your being.
That needs to change,” she says. Fusing modern with old techniques also isn’t always the best way to take things forward, says Kaushalya, “In India, a lot of people don’t have enough knowledge of the art form in the first place. It doesn’t mean just incorporating a few western moves — it has to be aesthetical, retaining the beauty of it and what the dance means.”
But as Bharatanatyam danseuse Rajeswari Sainath puts it, it still gives the world a taste of what Indian classical dance is all about — tradition: “Dance will be more popular, because there are so many into fusion. That global touch makes it interesting for audiences — it shows that we’re also in touch with our traditions.”
