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Man as the message
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Narendra Sharma, dancer, choreographer and teacher, will be remembered for his warmth and fiery spirit.
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Photo: Shanker Chakravarty
A man of action Narendra Sharma 21 September 1924-14 January 2008
Wreathed in smiles. That’s how one will remember Narendra Sharma. At the end of one of his shows, shaking hands with friends and admirers. Or just wandering around the lawns of the India International Centre, where he ran into other artistes an
d always had lots to share with them. Or hurrying in to watch someone else’s performance, having braved the city’s unruly traffic in his trusty old Fiat. So what if he had to stand in endless queues in inclement weather to get into a sought-after performance at Siri Fort? The recipient of awards from the Central and U.P. Sangeet Natak Akademis and the Sahitya Kala Parishad patiently awaited his turn like anyone else. But then, the veteran Modern Dancer and choreographer knew the value of patience.
It was this quality that had won him a place at Uday Shankar’s dance institution in Almora, back in 1939, when he ran away from his conservative U.P. home to dance. He would tell the story with relish. As a minor, he could not be admitted without parental intercession, but he refused to go home, and the teashop across the road gave him a cot to sleep on. Then older members of Shankar’s troupe prevailed upon their mentor to give him a hearing, or the adamant boy would freeze to death. His shining eyes would twinkle extra bright as he described the hours of hard work he put in, or the improvisation class conducted by Dada himself, where the young Sharma improvised as if his life depended on it. Wistfulness and pride and humour were all mingled in that expression. But there was conviction, too, and energy, because he was a man who had too much to do in the present to wallow in mere memories.
Well past his retirement from Modern School, Barakhamba Road, where he choreographed tens of productions and became a part of thousands of schoolchildren’s most cherished memories, he carried on his work from his residence in Bharati Artists’ Colony. Unfazed by the numerous steps of the unusually designed house, where a dance studio had been plotted in to ensure the autumn of his life became a new spring, he danced, choreographed, conducted rehearsals, practised yoga, held meetings with the zeal of a 40-year-old. Even if his entry into the dance world had been on the wings of a restless schoolboy’s whims, his tenure there, over more than six decades, was a product of thought and training.
No wonder he had founded Bhoomika Creative Dance Centre in 1972, years before he was due to retire. Thus he overcame a hurdle many artistes long immersed in teaching face when they suddenly emerge from behind the walls of an institution late in life. The man who choreographed Shri Ram Bharatiya Kala Kendra’s famous Ramayan ballet in its original version back in 1957 went on to create a range of works. The slapstick satire of “Conference”, the lyrical beauty of “Alingan”, the many faces of death in “Antim Adhyay”, Kalpavriksha, a homage to the wisdom of the tree, and many more.
Like his guru Uday Shankar, Sharma often conveyed a social message through his works. What he did not do was to imitate his mentor’s dancing style. Unlike many others who were inspired by Shankar, acknowledged as the father of Indian Modern Dance, Sharma could be said to have walked in the footsteps of his mentor, but he never copied his dance steps. In this sense he was a true heir, furthering the spirit of artistic quest that made Shankar great.
Acknowledging the richness of exposure he received under ‘Dada’ Uday Shankar, Sharma tried to provide similar inputs to his own troupe, by inviting artistes from various classical disciplines to conduct classes for them. Concerned about education and the fate of children cooped up in a regimented system, he was interested in dance theatre as a medium both of recreation and therapy. He was thrilled when Bal Bhawan arranged performances by Bhoomika for hundreds of Delhi Government schoolchildren in 2004.
He was fond of saying that dance was an art a child was born knowing. Before babies learn to talk, they know how to communicate with their bodies, he would point out. Irrevocable, simple logic. As simple as his use of incense in copper bowls carried on poles by his dancers to create a mystical atmosphere in “Homage”, dedicated to his guru. Found them walking around in Almora, he recounted delightedly, and bought up a dozen, as his group wondered what had possessed him.
Last production
For the man who choreographed for Hindi films, was a member of IPTA and the Indian National Theatre, ordinary life was an inspiration, and he looked ahead with zest. Maybe that’s why his last work, which Bhoomika will premiere this January 23, is “Kal Ki Prateeksha — Waiting for Tomorrow”.
It seems to be a season of loss. As the stalwarts that made India’s post-Independence art history a gem-encrusted phase fade away one by one, we will miss Narendra Sharma.
A memorial meeting will be held at Modern School, Barakhamba Road, from 4.30 p.m. this Friday.
ANJANA RAJAN
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Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
|
