Natya Sudha, a Delhi-based school of performing arts established in 1959 by the legendary Bharatnatyam dancer late N.V. Venkataraman is now more than half a century old but is still dynamically brimming with success-stories of over 7,000 disciples. Being the daughter-disciple of the founder-Guru, Rani Shingal is carrying forward the ‘guru-shishya parampara’ and has a plethora of students from overseas, from varied nationalities, cultures, and even a varied spectrum of age-range as wide as 5 to 65 years.
In fact, one of her students K.V. Radhalakshmi, will be performing her a rangetram this Saturday and guess what, Radhalakshmi is not a day older than 65 years! Truly living the saying; anybody can dance, Rani Shinghal an eminent artiste of the Ministry of Culture and a Distinguished Citizen awardee of the Delhi Government, shares her view on how encouragement plays a vital role in a dancer’s life and much more.
Edited excerpts from an interview:
From a student, to a performer, to now being a guru yourself; how do you perceive the roles of a teacher, a dancer and a choreographer? Are they well defined roles in classical dances?
I used to assist my parents from a young age. I played the nattuvangam, sang, danced and helped them in choreographing too. And all through these years I have reached a decision that all three are absolutely well defined roles and one should be great at minimum one of them.
Teaching requires extreme patience, performing requires stamina and charisma, choreographing requires thinking out of the box. Not everybody can be good at all but some are and they truly shine! But that said, being a guru is like being the director of a film, and you have to be the jack of all trades.
Your student Radhalakshmi will soon be giving her arangetram. At such a phenomenal age of 60’s when she’s a grandmother herself, what made her take up dance, what made you accept her and what it means for you both now?
See we both share a very peculiar relationship. Even though I am her guru, but outside dance she treats me a as daughter and I adore her as a mother. After her retirement as Human Resource Officer from the United Nations World Food Program she wanted to do something with her life and not just wither away into oblivion.
So one day after watching one of my student’s recital she came back stage and asked me if she can start dancing at the age of 60. Now I am a very encouraging person in general. I said yes, why not.
And just like that she began training and now after five years of toil, I think she’s ready to be presented and though she’s already seen more of the world than me, we both think that her dance journey is just beginning. The kind of determination she has shown, inspires me to be not bound by social norms of any kind and truly live one’s life to the fullest. Though I am her guru yet she is my life’s inspiration.
(Radhalakshmi’s arangetram: October 3, 2015, Triveni Kala Sangam, 6:30 p.m.)
