Art & Theatre
Dance, Dance, Evolution
With time everything changes and dance is no exception. The legend Padma Vibhushan Dr Sonal Mansingh shares how important is it for dance to evolve
By Deepti KhannaPosted On Thursday, October 29, 2009 at 06:28:55 PM
Renowned danseuse Dr Sonal MansinghAt a recent Odissi dance performance, it was a delight to see Dr Sonal Mansingh use numbers like Tere mere hootho pe or a Mar diya jaaye to explain the different shades of Sringar rasa. This is just one example of how classical dance is slowly changing from the way purists treated itand is now adapting to fit into the current times. “Just as we do not speak Shakespearean English anymore but the rules of English grammar are more or less the same, the mudras, postures, facial expressions and sentiments behind a dance are more or less the same. The language in which it is communicated to the audience should change so that it makes perfect sense. In my opinion it is the duty of an artiste to change with the times or else the knowledge will rot,” says this 66-year-old danseuse, who has been trained in Bharat Natyam, Odissi and Chhau forms of classical dance.
Repackaging classical dance It is a known fact that our classical dances are dying a slow death. With TV and Bollywood concentrating on western and Bollywood styles of dancing, revival of classical dance seems quite a challenge. She explains: “The disadvantage about dance is that it is a visual art. Classical music is at an advantage because there are good CDs available in the market today so music connoisseurs can buy them for listening to rich classical music at home. But with dance, we do not have any DVDs being made. Also, all the marketing that happens for dancers to negotiate for a good price is done by either fathers or husbands. There is no one offering scholarships or no corporate giant pumping in money for this cause.” She also feels that the media has a very important role to play when it comes to creating awareness about our rich culture. “We have been aping the West. But we are forgetting how the West values their rich cultural heritage. Almost every news channel in the West has a regular TV show dedicated to bringing out to the richness of the country’s dance, music etc. But here this is missing. Earlier we did have columns in papers talking about Tukaram, Meera, Muktabai, Kabir and their wisdom. But all this is fading away,” mentions Dr Mansingh.
Dance: A many splendid thing She also believes that youngsters should be taught classical dance not only for better fitness or grace but for the fact that a classical dancer learns to think differently. According to her a classical dancer reads a text in three dimensions unlike a scholar who does not go beyond the known narrative. “We all know about Lord Rama as a great king and son. But how many of us know that he was a great lover as well. It was only because he did everything that Seeta said was she able to throw a tantrum and demand for a golden deer. Not many wives can take such liberties with their better halves,” she smiles.
Repackaging classical dance It is a known fact that our classical dances are dying a slow death. With TV and Bollywood concentrating on western and Bollywood styles of dancing, revival of classical dance seems quite a challenge. She explains: “The disadvantage about dance is that it is a visual art. Classical music is at an advantage because there are good CDs available in the market today so music connoisseurs can buy them for listening to rich classical music at home. But with dance, we do not have any DVDs being made. Also, all the marketing that happens for dancers to negotiate for a good price is done by either fathers or husbands. There is no one offering scholarships or no corporate giant pumping in money for this cause.” She also feels that the media has a very important role to play when it comes to creating awareness about our rich culture. “We have been aping the West. But we are forgetting how the West values their rich cultural heritage. Almost every news channel in the West has a regular TV show dedicated to bringing out to the richness of the country’s dance, music etc. But here this is missing. Earlier we did have columns in papers talking about Tukaram, Meera, Muktabai, Kabir and their wisdom. But all this is fading away,” mentions Dr Mansingh.
Dance: A many splendid thing She also believes that youngsters should be taught classical dance not only for better fitness or grace but for the fact that a classical dancer learns to think differently. According to her a classical dancer reads a text in three dimensions unlike a scholar who does not go beyond the known narrative. “We all know about Lord Rama as a great king and son. But how many of us know that he was a great lover as well. It was only because he did everything that Seeta said was she able to throw a tantrum and demand for a golden deer. Not many wives can take such liberties with their better halves,” she smiles.
In her opinion everyone should learn dance at least once in their lives to understand these beautiful hidden symbols. Dr Mansingh also states that a good dancer should address the shortcomings of the society. “Being a visual artist, dancers should reflect the unfair practices rampant in the society, but it should be done subtly and packaged in a way that it is accepted. Women and child related issues are close to my heart. In my dances I do showcase how women are not encouraged to study but pushed into getting married early,” states Dr Mansingh. Dr Mansingh sincerely advises everyone to fall in love. “Love is a beautiful emotion and we all should experience it to live our lives completely,” concludes Dr Mansingh.
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