Thus is born within the delivery layer, the sub-layer of content. Simply put, ‘What are we presenting before our audiences?’ A welcoming dance community would be characterized by diverse representation of a single thought. It will be the space where text is interpreted, designed and choreographed to speak mindfully of issues that resonate with artist and audience alike. Women’s empowerment, modern history and literature, gender and identity- these are only a few of the many areas of deliberation that find strong resonance in us. Following this thread of thought, we arrive at the juncture of relevance and contemporary representation. Are we encouraging narratives that we come across ever so often every day, on the stage? 

Stories that resonate across borders

Kassiyet Adilkhankyzy, a dancer based in California, muses whether as a community, we have been forthcoming about introducing stories and narratives that may not necessarily be based in the framework of Indian mythology. Could we be talking about the lives and contributions of social reformers or inspirational contemporary figures or role models, she asks? Can we be more geography and literature inclusive? Once more, the answer lies in the affirmative, because Bharatanatyam, as a form allows for the voicing of novel thought. How this takes shape in the work we do ahead is something to excitedly anticipate.

Kuhokee Das, New York based Bharatanatyam danseuse, astutely questions how reception of non-traditional themes occurs. As she spoke about gender and inclusivity in the RootEd Dance Debate, she pondered over the audiences’ reactions to compositions that are written from the traditional gender roles perspective. How are these viewed by individuals who understand the gender spectrum differently? Do men in the audience feel like the repertoire is less accessible to them emotionally, in that it has been heavily female focussed? Would there exist enough motivation for them to sit through a recital that centres on issues like deemed primarily women- centric? It was beautiful how it was almost as if the question she had raised in the debate was miraculously heard by Parshwanath Upadhye, who recently premiered his work, ‘Suta: The birth of a father’. This production explores paternal emotion through the eyes of a Bharatanatyam artist who is himself a father, as well as through the lens of the literature that was employed in this production. The almost instantaneous voicing of a question and it being respectively answered is proof that inclusivity is being taken very seriously within the dance fraternity.

On the matter of openness and fair mindedness in dance

If we ask ourselves what a fair and impartial attitude in the dance circles looks like, it is important to first examine what our expectations from this word are. This consequently introduces the ‘how’ within the delivery layer. Adopting a bottom-to-top approach, it means we welcome questions like ‘Is Kuchipudi the same as Bharatanatyam?’, or ‘Do you have an Arangetram in Kathak?’, and not get agitated. A little further up, it might mean staying patient with some enthusiastic audience members who want to initiate conversation after a concert. Climbing ahead, it could mean that we make a genuine effort to understand the perspectives of colleagues who are experimenting with contemporary music, literature, media or movement grammar. On the flip side, it also means a reassessment of our definitions of ‘irrelevant’ or ‘passé’. 

That is being inclusive too- to be firmly convinced that we have something valuable to demand the attention of a wise audience, of a ‘Sabha’ in the truest sense of the word.

Much like the wise words of Freund, what law (or cultural practice or ‘tradition’) ultimately becomes is tested in the mills of time. It is the outcome of relentless tests of relevance, and is what stays after all the possible questions regarding its fitness for being a permanent feature in a classical vocabulary have been satisfactorily laid to rest. It logically follows that as an artistes’ community, we try and stay true to our aesthetic sixth sense, pay heed to our creative instincts, and above all, stay honest to what we want to convey through a work. It implies that we be ready to shoulder the questioning and speculative glances that come part and parcel of premiering productions that speak about sensitive and bold issues like gender discrimination, social injustice, or abuse. That is being inclusive too- to be firmly convinced that we have something valuable to demand the attention of a wise audience, of a ‘Sabha’ in the truest sense of the word.

GLOSSARY

Kuchipudi : One of India's classical dance forms, which has its origins in the village of Kuchipudi in present day Andhra Pradesh.

Arangetram : A Tamil word referring to the official debut performance of a performing artist.