I know it's been way too long since I posted and I apologise profusely for that but I'm back!
Today I bring you a post that has been long in the making. It is a little glimpse into the world of learning Bharatanatyam in England and so I introduce you to four girls; Kaushika, Parvatee, Hamsini and Meghana. Find yourself a comfortable seat, a cup of chai and listen to their stories in this wonderful conversation I had with them...
Moi: Tell me a little about yourselves
Kaushika: My name is Kaushika and I'm 14 years of age. I was born into a full and full Tamil family from Chennai but I've been living in England for most of my life and for all of my dancing life! I've been dancing since I was around 6 and it has always been something I've loved doing. I've had many hobbies which I've let go of, mainly because I've lost interest but Bharatanatyam has kept me going!
Parvatee: I am Parvatee, and I am 18 years old. I am a Hindu and my parents come from an island called Mauritius which is located in the Indian Ocean, to the East of Madagascar. I actually started learning Bharatnatyam at the age of 12 in my home town, we touched slightly on the theory but focused mainly on the dance. Unfortunately my dance teacher left for Australia. I came across a dance school in Reading which taught both the theoretical and practical aspects of Bharatanatyam. I started in November 2010. I didn't actually do any performances until September of 2011 as I didn’t have my Bharatanatyam outfit!
Hamsini: I am 16 years old and I first started Bharatanatyam when I was 8. I am not an expert at it though as I had to constantly start from the beginning quite often.
Meghana: Hello my name is Meghana and I am 14 years old. I was born in America and raised in India. I began learning Bharatanatyam when I was around 7 in India. When we moved to England I started to learn Bharatnatyam again. I only started studying for the grades about two years ago.
Moi: Why did you start studying Bharatanatyam?
Kaushika: To be honest I started Bharatanatyam because my parents did not want me to lose out on Indian culture (also why I do Carnatic singing).
Parvatee: I didn't know there were such classical dances at such a young age. My Mum knew about them and she asked me if I would like to learn Bharatanatyam as she had always wanted to learn it herself but never had the chance. My Mum and I researched Bharatanatyam and we finally found someone who had connections with the Indian society and she introduced us to the dance teacher. Later on we found out about Kalakunj through one of my old dance friends. Once I found out about Bharatanatyam and what it was, I was 100% enthusiastic about learning it, as it is a dance performed religiously and towards the Gods (I am quite religious). That did however mean giving up the sports I did because the days clashed and I was very sporty.
Hamsini: When I was around 8 I went to the temple to watch a Bharatanatyam performance with my Grandma. The dance was absolutely amazing and from that moment on I knew I wanted to keep dancing and hopefully become a dancer someday.
Meghana: I started Bharatanatyam because I really enjoyed watching others perform it. It was also very good practice for role playing which I really like doing.
Moi: What does Bharatanatyam mean to you?
Kaushika: Obviously when I started Bharatanatyam I was very young and I did not know how it started and the stories behind the art form however, as I grew older, I began to research into the history of Bharatanatyam and I realised how meaningful and how much beauty it holds.
Parvatee: Bharatnatyam means the world to me! It is one of the many things that I do that holds such importance in my life. Now that’s a bit cheesy but it’s true! I have learnt a lot of things and met new friends through Bharatanatyam. It’s an art which requires both dance and drama as well as some singing, though I'm not so keen on the singing bit.
Hamsini: My absolute love for dancing means that Bhartanatyam is a huge deal for me. It's my favourite hobby and would also look really good on my future university application.
Meghana: Bharatanatyam has played a significant role in my life as it has showed me that I can go on stage and not be afraid or shy. It has also showed me that I can do anything if I put my mind to it. Moreover, it also reminds me of India and the days when I lived there.
Moi: Do you think being a non-resident Indian makes you view/experience Bharatanatyam differently?
Kaushika: Because we are in England I think there is a definite difference in our way of dance! However, because of the way we have been taught, the dance still keeps its originality because many of the dances have been choreographed by our Guru.
Parvatee: Nope, I view and perform Bharatanatyam in probably the same way as Indians do. I guess it’s hard to explain but I think being in a certain country does weaken or strengthen your views. I guess it’s how you take it as a dancer and a student.
Hamsini: I find that being a non-resident Indian actually makes you follow and respect the culture and dance more than Indians living in India do. This is because we view it as a chance to get closer to our roots while Indians in India actually try to follow Western habits and try to drift away from the Indian culture.
Meghana: I don't think the fact that you don't live in India necessarily has an effect because as long as you believe in the religion you will still carry the same emotion as someone living in India.
Moi: I have a theory that non-Hindus lose a slight connection with the dance form, would you agree with this? Why?
Kaushika: I think that if you are truly in love with dance then your passion for it will overrule the fact that Bharatanatyam is about Hindu mythology. I believe that even if you aren't Hindu but are extremely passionate, it will connect you immediately to the dance and will overwhelm you without needing any spiritual attachment.
Parvatee: Actually I am undecided. It can go both ways. Non- Hindus may lose a slight connection as they won’t understand (yet) the Gods and the scriptures of Hinduism. This can be a setback, nevertheless they could always read up about and learn to understand Hinduism. Learn a bit more so that they can make up for the lost knowledge so to speak. If they know the stories and the morals they might learn and perform with a stronger connection. It depends on the person. I also think a Non-Hindu could be one of the best Bharatanatyam dancers, however the Hindu performers would be slightly ahead of the game as they would have more knowledge thus more connection.
Hamsini: I do. As non-Hindus in general (there are exceptions of course) don't understand our language or religion as well and so don't understand our faith in the gods we worship when dancing like we do.
Meghana: Yes, I would agree with this because they would not feel the story behind each dance as much as someone who believes in the story.
Moi: Is Bharatanatyam spiritual for you?
Kaushika: For me, I value the dance form for its spiritual qualities and I do believe it is a way to connect to the Gods. Particularly as many dances are to do with Shiva and the Thandavam, I do believe that Bharatanatyam is a spiritually powerful dance.
Parvatee: I guess so. All Bharatanatyam dances are in reference to the Gods; all the pieces I have learnt refer to the Gods at some stage. I guess this dance form is a greeting to the Gods and by performing the dance it feels like I am performing to the Gods, so I guess it is spiritual for me.
Hamsini: I feel as if I am dancing in front of God when I'm on stage, so yes it is. Some also say it is supposed to be spiritual as it is a form of meditation.
Meghana: Bharatanatyam is kind of spiritual because each dance depicts a different Hindu myth and the dancers goal is to convey this story to the audience. This is spiritual because the dancer has to play the characters (Gods and Goddesses) and to do this you need to understand the spiritual side of things.
Moi: Kaushika I know you’re Tamil, but do the rest of you feel that not being Tamil changes the way you experience Bharatanatyam?
Parvatee: No because Bharatanatyam is a dance towards the Hindu Gods and I think that Hindus (more than non-Hindus as they -it's complicated- probably do not feel as strong performing the dance in respect to the Gods) from all over the world who are strong believers will not have any change in experience. There might be people who are Tamil but who are not religious as opposed to people who are not Tamil and religious. I think it depends on whether you are a strong believer of Hinduism (though not always) that changes the way a person experiences Bharatanatyam. However Non-Hindus can also perform to the highest standards if they put their heart and soul into it!
Hamsini: I think being Tamil has nothing to do with Bharatanatyam except that the dance form originated in Chennai. So I don't think it changes the experience of dancing if you're not Tamil.
Meghana: No, I don't think not being Tamil changes anything.
Moi: Do you have any aspirations to take Bharatanatyam on as a full or part-time career?
Kaushika: As well as loving dance, I think that I could consider it a part-time job in the future if I still have a love for Bharatanatyam then, which I hope to have.
Parvatee: Well I do hope that I can carry it on as a part- time career. I would love to teach this art form and introduce it to others who do not have a special hobby.
Hamsini: No I don't think I could, however I would love to!
Meghana: I don't think I will take Bharatanatyam on as a job but I would like to continue it as a hobby.
Moi: Would you like to one day do an Arangetram?
Kaushika: Yes, I would like to do an Arangetram in the future because I'd like to see it as a way of me completing my student-hood as a Bharatanatyam dancer. I'd also like to think of it as a way of introducing myself as a dancer to the dance community (however big or small it is, depending on where you I live.)
Parvatee: I would love to! That would be pretty awesome, being introduced to the public as a Bharatanatyam dancer and a student of Kalakunj.
Hamsini: No
Meghana: I don't have a set goal to do a Arangetram.
Moi: How do you see the future of Bharatanatyam here in the UK?
Kaushika: I see the future for Bharatanatyam in England as a bright one with more and more people from different backgrounds and cultures starting to take on the art form. I'm sure that if this popularity continues to grow Bharatanatyam can be appreciated for its true beauty and can be given full credit as an ancient dance style which I think it deserves.
Parvatee: Well Bharatanatyam is the most practised Indian Classical dance worldwide, and in the UK there are more and more children and adults who want to learn Bharatanatyam, (and of course who want to have such an amazing outfit to wear!) So I think in the near future Bharatanatyam will be highly popular in the UK.
Hamsini: It might become more popular with the British but it might also grow more popular with the Indian population in the UK.
Meghana: I think Bharatanatyam will definitely grow and more people will become interested in this form.of dance.
I would like to thank Kaushika, Parvatee, Hamsini and Meghana for this wonderful insight into their lives as Bharatanatyam students. I am constantly amazed at how far Indian classical dance travels. Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi and Odissi are all widely taught in England. Did you know that there is a large community of Kuchipudi dancers in Russia and Ukraine? Or that Kathak has reached as far as France and China? Indian classical dance in all its forms has no boundaries, a testament to its beauty and universal ability to bring joy.
[Kaushika, Parvatee, Hamsini, Meghana and I are all disciples of Ananya Chatterjee who runs Kalakunj. She is herself a disciple of Smt. Thankamani Kutty of Kalamandalam Kolkata.]
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