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Entertainment
Life dedicated to dance
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Kalakshetra shaped and honed the dancing skills of Shantha Dhananjayan, who cherishes the half-a-century association. The artiste turned 60 recently and V. R. DEVIKA finds her in a nostalgic mood.
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IT WAS in 1952 that Shantha came to the campus of Kalakshetra as a little girl. ``After that, dance has occupied my entire life. I have lived and breathed dance and feel fortunate about a life that has given me such joy and opportunities through dance," says the veteran in all humility.
The Kalakshetra campus then was in the theosophical society campus just behind the Olcott School. The Besant Theosophical School was in the building that today houses the J. Krishnamurthy Foundation's The School. Shantha Dhananjayan talks with enthusiasm about life in those days in the campus and her meeting Dhananjayan.
``For me, Kalakshetra campus means only the Besant Nagar campus. I cannot think of it as elsewhere," says Shantha.
As a little child of a Malayali family in Malaysia, Shantha would stand up and dance to any music. When her grandparents decided to settle down in India after the world war, Shantha's parents sent their three children also to study in India.
The family also decided that Shantha needed music and dance and had a meeting about whether she should be sent to Santhiniketan. But at six years she was considered too young to be sent so far away and then someone mentioned Kalakshetra in the then Madras. Thus Shantha was admitted to the Besant Theosophical School and became a part time student of music and dance at Kalakshetra for the initial three years.
``At 7 a.m. we had music class and then I would run to the school. As soon as school finished, I would be in the dance class. Rukmini Devi had been on one of her tours abroad when I joined the school. She returned after two months and there was a great anticipation in my mind as everyone talked about Athai." Shantha recollects her first encounter with Athai:. ``Some of us children had climbed the Nagalinga tree (it is still there in the campus). Some one shouted, `Mercury is coming' (Mercury was Athai's car). While my other friends jumped down in haste, my long skirt got caught on the branch of the tree and I was hanging upside down as Athai's car passed. There were boys around and I burst into tears in utter shame."
Shantha was thrilled that she was included, along with Krishnaveni, Ambika, Radha and Rama (twin sisters of late Mani Krishnaswami), in the dance show presented to welcome Rukmini Devi. They had been at Kalakshetra longer than Shantha and had learnt a lot more. ``Looking at Athai was like looking at a Goddess for me," recalls Shantha.
Discipline and hard work have always been the hallmarks of Shantha.
Adyar Lakshmanan was then a pupil-teacher at Kalakshetra. ``He, in this enthusiasm, would make us do the adavus in not just three speeds but also in the fourth speed. I would clench my teeth and last the longest. I never wanted to give up and always wanted to learn it the best. Once I had bruised my ankle while playing on the slide and it had got infected. I was asked not to dance for a while. I sat in the class crying and begging to be allowed to dance a little while.
``Later A. Sharada (Chinna Sharada teacher as she was called) took charge of our group. She was a hard taskmaster and never finished her class in time. I was always late for lunch and dinner at the hostel. But I loved it. Sharada teacher lived in the hostel too and would call me whenever she had the free time to teach me the nuances. It was a great learning process."
Continuing in her nostalgic vein, Shantha says, ``When Athai chose me to play Radha for the dance-drama ``Gita Govindam" and my teacher Sharada as the sakhi I was very disturbed and troubled. But later I realised the genius of Athai in selecting the dancers. Sakhi actually occupies the Gurusthanam. She gives advice and takes messages across. She is the intermediary between Radha and Krishna. I have always marvelled at Athai's vision in choosing roles for different dancers... Athai also called me to her house at the Theosophical Society after dinner when Padmasini teacher would sing and Athai would teach me each Astapadi in great detail. She also loved doing my hair. She created fascinating designs with just a flick of hand."
Dhananjayan came into Kalakshetra much later and immediately got drawn to Shantha. She was not yet 13 and they were cast in the roles of Rama and Sita in the dance drama, ``Sita Swayamvaram." The details are fresh in her memory. ``I was much too embarrassed to do the role as others were already teasing me about Dhananjayan and he was boldly making his intentions clear not just to me but every one else. I would sit as far away from him as possible in the scene where we had to sit on a stool together and he would urge me to come closer without opening his mouth while my seniors danced the tillana around us. After a performance at Bombay, Dhananjayan took off the garland around his neck and put it around mine. I was simply scandalised and wished the earth would open up and swallow me. I knew I wanted to marry him and was very sure I would but never showed my feelings... I know it irked him... but he also knew that I would marry him some day
Shantha had returned to Malaysia after graduating from Kalakshetra and had begun to teach. When her parents looked around for a suitable groom, she revealed her interest in Dhananjayan. A caring mother made arrangements for her to return and marry Dhananjayan. Thus began an enduring and fruitful partnership. Their love for each other, for dance and for their students who form a large family continues undiminished.
(On September 22, at 6.30 p.m., Dhananjayans' Bharathakalanjali is organising an event at the Bharatha Kalakshetra auditorium of Kalakshetra. The event is to mark the 60th birthday celebrations of Shantha Dhananjayan.)
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