On the grammar and idiom of dance
V. KALADHARAN
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C.V. Chandrasekhar says poetry and abstract themes happen to be his forte.
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Photo: N. Sridharan
Multifaceted personality: C.V. Chandrasekhar
C.V. Chandrasekhar is a multifaceted personality. As dancer, choreographer, musician and academician, his mission has been to harmonise tradition and innovation in Bharatanatyam. The vision and work of this disciple of Rukminidevi Arundale reflect
the Kalakshetra stamp. Yet he transcends its inevitable constraints through imagination and perseverance. This is evident in his choreographies of Kalidasa’s ‘Meghdoot’ and ‘Ritu Samharam.’
Chandrasekhar has imbibed the meaning of the term ‘guru’ and hence is a little hesitant to share with all and sundry his limitless knowledge of Indian dances and their practical applications. No wonder dancers and choreographers follow him like bees wherever he goes. He has won numerous honours including the Central Sangeet Natak Akademy Award in a career spanning over six decades.
Excerpts from an interview.
Can your main contribution to dance be summarised as a constant reinvention of tradition?
In classical dance, grammar is more important than the margam. In the dance productions of Kalakshetra, Rukmini Devi brought in all the good techniques such as lighting, props and stage-presentations from the West. We imbibed them all. But when it came to choreography I did not adopt much from mythology.
Poetry and abstract themes happened to be my forte. In ‘Meghdoot,’ I used very little hand gestures. Cloud (Megh) was portrayed by means of body-movements. Techniques of Bharatanatyam alone were employed all through the choreography.
For ‘Devimahatmyam,’ another choreography, aharyabhinaya was mostly suggestive. The emphasis had to be on the dance segment. For the Devi’s ‘attahasa,’ the jathi I incorporated a lot of ‘hakaara.’ Such mnemonics provide a fresh tone to the dance. Again in ‘Meghdoot,’ for the lightning, I used ‘tha thi tha’ to give a realistic effect. My ‘Bhoomija’ is the essence of the Ramayana through the eyes of Sita. However innovative a dancer is, he/she has to realise the fact that grammar dictates the grace of dance.
Art and academic scholarship are sometimes contradictory. If and when thoughts interfere with the emotional content, the dancer fails on stage. How do you reconcile both?
I haven’t had such an experience in my artistic career. Although I sit before the computer for correspondence and so on, I have never allowed electronic machines to control my artistic pursuits. Similarly on stage, my spontaneity in performance is never marred by deliberations. I have, for many years, been doing the varnams learnt at the Kalakshetra without boredom. Every day, it is a novel experience for me. In none of the conventional items do I stagnate. This underlines the strength of the idiom. Scholarship, to me, is no challenge to emotive dancing.
Bharatanatyam has traveled a long way from the preceding Devadasi tradition. Mainstream cinema has adapted the elegance of Indian classical dances, especially that of Bharatanatyam. Do you feel this will eventually le
ad to the disappearance of this living tradition?
Our traditional dances have never, at any point of time in history, been for the masses. They almost always stood for the class audience and hence were not at all popular. These art forms have withstood the test of time by means of their inner strength and beauty. Films are incapable of invading the sacred realms of our classical dance tradition.
The disappearance of the Devadasi tradition of dance in the temples is certainly an irretrievable loss. With them vanished a highly distinctive gharana of dance. There is nothing we can do about it. On the other hand, Bharatanatyam grew beyond all expectations thanks to the contributions of innumerable maestros in the 20th century. But the biggest threat today to classical dances is the mediocrity flourishing through totally undesirable encouragement.
How do you view several of the classical dancers turning towards contemporary social issues like environmental degradation and family planning?
There are alternative media to put across burning social concerns. Why Bharatanatyam or other classical dances? Even mythological themes carry indirect social messages.
‘Kuchelopakhyanam’ suggests the need for family planning. ‘Ethane sonnalum’ is one of my compositions unfolding the anxiety of a mother about her daughter. This and the ‘parkeeyanayika’ are eternal concerns of any society, the east and the west alike. Our traditional dances have a soothing effect on the dancers and the beholders. They appeal to people as spiritual therapies around the world. That’s why they continue to exist against all the odds.
The Thanjore, Pandanalloor and Vazhavoor styles are all now mixed up. Has standardisation affected the splendour of diversity?
Standardisation at the primary level is indispensable. Otherwise anything would go in the name of dance. Basic steps like thi thi thi tha are invariable. Stylistic purity has always been problematic. Before Ramayya Pillai, what was the Vazhavoor style like? Nobody knows. The ancestors of the three different styles were all from one place. They retained common characteristics.
Individual stamp in the teaching and performance is what matters more than the purity of styles. The acharyas should teach the youngsters alternative techniques along with the familiar. There are bright young dancers who can carry the tradition forward.
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