Anita Ratnam, a well-known name in the field of classical dance, is trained in Bharatantaya, Kalaripayattu and Mohiniattam, and has mesmerised dancers with her grace and beauty on stage. But over the years, Anita felt “tied down” by the classical forms and started to look for new mediums of dance expressions. She discovered the world of contemporary dance and was “mesmerised” by it. She was in Bangalore for her new production, Padme.
“I love contemporary dance. It’s new in movement, thinking and is relevant to the times we live in.” That’s what triggered the birth of Padme. “Over the years I have been looking at how a classical dancer can continue to train and develop a methodology to bring art and life back. Classical dance takes you back to a bygone era. Even the dancers are elaborately dressed -- like a bride. It just does not reflect the many shades of India that it is today. India today is vibrant, bold, angry and beautiful. So I too had to evolve myself in many roles besides being a dancer in the classical mould. It was a struggle for me. That’s when I started looking for young classical dancers, who have left their safe enclaves -- like say their families, guru or are struggling to find support and new mediums to express themselves with.”
She chose a group of dancers through an audition, who were trained in Bharatanatya and Odissi. “This is the first time these dancers are in a contemporary project. They work eight hours a day and they get paid a stipend and a performance fee.”
Anita then adds that with contemporary dance form one can even look for unconventional venues like the malls, escalators or galleries instead of the conventional halls. “People are also always in transit these days and we can make dance a part of their lives by choosing such venues. It can become a work of art that can travel. Tell me, how can we evolve a new audience when their attention span is reducing with their busy lifestyle? How can a classical dancer draw a young crowd by depicting traditional characters? No one has that kind of patience these days — either to learn for years or dedicate to the guru-shishya parampara. Most girls go into professional training or get married and it’s sad that in India, even today, a full-time dancer cannot make enough money. She has to become a teacher and earn by taking classes, and not as a performer. To perform, most top-level dancers travel abroad in summer to make money. ”
She adds that Padme provides a professional atmosphere for dancers, where they can just practise and train themselves. “The contemporary dance world offers you a greater tendency to introspect and ask questions rather than just pretend to be a ‘durga’ or a ‘Parvati’ on stage. Classical dance is filled with such richness that not many classical dancers value it enough. They lean back on the creaking four-poster bed, which I call as ancient, pure, sacred and divine. Just by using these four words classical dance does not become relevant to today’s time and lifestyle. I have already received hate mails because of this. They have told me to ‘calm down and think of a supreme god that dance talks about’. I have faith in God.
For me the moment you place your bare foot on the stage for a rehearsal – classical or a contemporary style – that itself is an act of humility and sacredness. According to me, a classical dancer is in no way privileged over the contemporary dancers. We need to give each style and form space. A good dance is a good dance – whatever be its style or form. If one loves dance one should be able to appreciate it in any form. It should not come in the cloak of a god or a goddess.”
