Maya sits quietly by the cobbled pathway that borders one side of the open-air performance space. A cool breeze tousles her soft, curly hair as she runs her fingers through the neatly mowed grass. “Hello,” she says, looking up with a warm smile. “I am from France, but I come here almost every December to watch the dance and continue my research into different Bharatanatyam texts used by different gurus.”
As the full moon peeks from behind grey, wispy clouds, casting a silvery glow on the rough waters of the sea, a crowd of visitors, mostly foreigners, gather around the venue at the Indian Dance Festival in Mamallapuram.
There cannot be a better setting to stage India’s folk and classical dances. The magnificent rock-cut Pallava Shore Temple stands like a silent spectator a few steps away from the stage, firmly re-establishing our links with the past through art and architecture.
Unlike sabha audiences, the crowd here is heterogeneous. Helen is from Italy and Susan from the U.S., Debashree Roy has come from Kolkata and Aarav Gupta from Lucknow. “I came for this wonderful festival about three years ago, but this time I have come with my family. I want them to experience these performances outside an auditorium, in an informal ambience, especially sitting on the grass,” laughs Debashree.
Call it culture tourism. Clearly, the performances add to the magnificence of the UNESCO heritage site. “My brief stopover has now extended to two days. The festival has given the place a colourful and celebratory makeover,” says Aarav.
Critic and scholar Leela Venkatraman, a regular at similar festivals held across the country, says that they have grown substantially in recent years with even little-known places turning into cultural sites. “These festivals allow both the uninitiated and connoisseurs to enjoy art in the spaces that they were originally conceived for, and appreciate the strong bond of art with nature and architecture. They make history come alive. For instance, the Ajanta Ellora music and dance festival put the spotlight back on the ancient caves and made people realise the need to protect them. Besides, there is an amazing cross-pollination happening between the arts in these locations. Dance and sculpture, particularly, have inspired each other for centuries.”
According to Leela, one of the earliest such festivals was held in the 1950s in the Red Fort. The legendary Balasaraswati and famed scholar-historian Kapila Vatsyayan were actively involved in organising it. “If the performing artists come up with site-specific presentations, it could enhance the impact. They should also be able to create an environment of intimacy on the open-air stage.”
Senior dancer Srekala Bharath, who has been performing at the Mamallapuram Festival since its inception in 1992, points out that the accessibility and inclusivity of these fests create awareness about classical art forms. “However much you may try, it’s hard to push the boundaries of appreciation inside the walls of an auditorium,” she added.
You realise it when young Mangaiyarkarasy and Varshini, disciples of Chinnamanur A. Chitra of Chidambaram, and later, Bangalore-based Anuradha Vikranth take the stage. Stone sculptors, seashell craftsmen and women selling beaded necklaces are among those who queue up to watch them. The dances have inspired Manivannan, who works in a nearby granite sculpting unit, to carve striking dance poses.
The performances, which earlier used to take place at Bhaghiratha, with the giant stone relief of Arjuna’s Penance making for a wonderful backdrop, have now moved to a clean, green lawn with a spacious stage.
“The response has always been overwhelming. Classical dancers from across the country participate enthusiastically,” says M. Rajadurai, district tourist officer. From being restricted to weekends, the month-long festival now has four performances every day. “It opens each day with a folk presentation and then moves on to classical,” says Rajadurai.
As Varshini begins to perform ‘Chinnachiru kiliye kannamma’, a sharp wind and lashing waves keep the beat along with her salangai to Bharatiar’s composition.
