I stopped judging reality shows long ago: Madhu Nataraj

It was the late Dr Maya Rao who pioneered the revival of Kathak in India and popularized the dance form across the globe. Now, her daughter and danseuse Madhu Nataraj is carrying forward the legacy. The successful Kathak dancer and choreographer was in Kochi along with her team recently to attend the ongoing Kochi-Muziris Biennale and to perform Sanjog, a performance choreographed by her mother.
The dancer speaks about Kathak performances, reality shows, her mother and more…
How has been your journey in Kerala so far?
We have a discerning audience in Kerala; from cab drivers to the elite crowd, everyone has an opinion. They give feedback and are not indifferent. All my shows in Kerala have been well received. In Kerala, it is a part of the culture to watch these dance forms. Recently, we performed Sanjog that my mother had choreographed, and we got a standing ovation at various venues in Kochi.
How do you go about the research that goes into the choreography of a Kathak performance?
It starts from Kathak’s origins in the temples of north India, its suppression, revival in the courts of the Rajput kings and Emperors Akbar, Jahangir and later Wajid Ali Shah, to its present form. Kathak has drawn influence from Hindu and Islamic architecture and miniature paintings; a lot of research is done to make it appeal to the audience here.
Sanjog has been scripted by my mother, who was the first woman choreographer. We have incorporated costumes of every period. We have used block prints that existed before Christ, the silk and dual tones of the 13th and 14th century. It is like re-telling the history without losing out on its artistry elements.
Your dancers are trained in martial arts. Why?
Apart from learning Kathak, all my team members have to learn martial arts. It is not just about music or dance, there is yoga, martial arts and much more. Our learning never ends in dance, it continues, adding experience to one’s knowledge, giving back more to the form itself.
Do you believe all classical dance and art forms are fighting for survival?
Parents should encourage their children to join art classes instead of playing video games. We shouldn’t take the audience for granted; give them a quality performance and they will come back time and again. As communicators, we should make a performance relevant so that people can connect to it.
What is the future of contemporary dance forms?
People confuse contemporary dance shows with reality shows. They fail to realise that the dance form has a history of over 400 years and it started in 1890s in America. It is Uday Shankar who initiated it in our country. The contemporary dance form has a bright future if taken in the right trajectory. Time and effort are equally required to master the vocabulary of any dance form.
What is your take on reality shows?
It is frivolous. I stopped judging reality shows long ago. There are boards displayed on roads that reads, ‘learn dance in 24 hours’. Reality shows are turning out to be a circus where parents force children for that moment of glory. Take one movement from Mohiniyattam, one from Bharatanatyam and then you combine it and call it some form of dance. There is lot of drama in reality shows; it doesn’t work with me.
Your mother pioneered the revival of Kathak in Independent India, how do you plan to take it forward?
It was a brave attempt by my mother to embrace dance then. My mother and dancer Rukmini Devi took up dance at a time when dance was taboo and it was forbidden for respectable families. They fought against all odds and took Kathak to a new level. So, if you stand by your principles, the world will come to you. I believe in working hard without expecting anything in return.