One and lonely

A festival highlighting solo classical dance, an arguably endangered format.

Priya Venkataraman. Photo: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar.

Priya Venkataraman and Shagun Butani have co-curated “Ek-Anant…the unending One”, a dance festival of solos beginning this Friday in New Delhi. The event comprises morning seminars and evening performances.

Priya, who spent 12 years in the U.S. in the early years of her career and returned when she was “mature enough to handle the Delhi scene” which can be “very disillusioning” for a young professional, hopes the professionalism she saw in the U.S. — “charge they must,” be it a small local show or a national festival — can one day be seen in the Indian context, “because the moment the audience is forced to pay, mediocrity will be pushed out.”

Shagun has trained intensely in Odissi and Seraikella Chhau, besides American Contemporary Dance and Yoga. At her institute, Madhyam, she teaches Odissi and Chhau and has evolved a teaching methodology that relates her own varied background to the concerns of the contemporary generation.

The dancers mention “bringing to the fore the state of the solo” as a major purpose of the festival and have focused their analysis on the past decade. Here, they share their reasoning and aspirations for the event. Excerpts:

What was the trigger for the festival?

Shagun: I think just a lack of good solo presentations, at least in the Capital. It seems everyone is in this frenzy to do group stuff. Of course, some of it is riveting and well thought of, but most of it seems mindless. Just cobbling up a group and presenting works that are not organic in any way. It makes you wonder, are there any soloists left who can capture and mesmerise an audience? And what happens to our basic training...were we not trained to dance as soloists, we tend to forget that. Instead we focus our energies to find dancers, to get work...just trying to keep up with the Joneses…

Priya: We felt there was a vacuum on the Delhi dance scene. There is no solo dance festival in Delhi to reckon with, what the public looks forward to year after year. Just as festivals dedicated to group choreography like “Ananya” that Delhiites look forward to every year, we felt we should try and create a platform for solo dance.

What is the motivating factor — declining solo standards, thin audiences, or something else?

Shagun: Definitely a decline…audience yes, in fact, that is one of the questions we asked...is the rasika extinct? And perhaps even the performers. I delve into my own psychology...I do solos, but always think, maybe, I should add a group segment to give another dimension, to make the performance complete…in a way, I am catering to the taste of an audience that seems disconnected to the depth and richness of a solo format...and in doing so eroding my own ability as a soloist...thinking Oh! If they get bored then at least the group work will save the performance!

Priya: I personally feel our top soloists (all in their 40s or older) are in great form. They invest a lot of time and energy in physical fitness, diet and training/ research. In terms of repertoire and presentation too, they offer the audiences a lot to choose from. Having said that, because of sheer numbers, we do have large scale mediocrity as well. Yet, it is difficult to fill up a hall with a capacity of just 250 for a solo event. It mostly consists of family, friends and students. Why aren’t we able to get people to throng to solo shows like theatre events, or even stand-up comedy which seems the latest rage? We are also searching for an answer to this trend, as dancers who strongly believe in the solo idiom. Last but not the least, dance is not a financially viable career option, so you see the decline especially in the last decade.

What is the criterion for choosing the last decade to look at the change in how Indian dance is presented?

Shagun: Because it is only in the last decade that change has really accelerated...there are so many diversions for the already distracted human mind…technology has taken over how we communicate with each other...just connecting through emails, whatsapp. Where is the human connect…and solo dancing is just about that: communicating the most subtle energies through a very physical medium. We need to break away from all the noise to be able feel this again.

Priya: A lot of factors....even in the 11 years I have been back in Delhi, I notice a slowing trend as far as solo dancing goes. Are the changes unavoidable? Isn’t that what art is all about? Doesn’t it always draw upon the present? By traditional do we mean just the dance vocabulary (if so most of us do maintain that) or do we include the presentation format? True art can never be static. When a one-day format in cricket has changed from 50 to 20 overs, the audience obviously expects a 20-minute abbreviated varnam. Our traditional dances are so rooted in Hindu mythology.With a whole generation of dancers that has grown up on “Glee”, “Big Bang Theory”, “Castle”, etc., they are totally disconnected. What is of great concern is the growing emphasis/ promotion of group choreography and whether solo is becoming endangered as a result of this? And definitely this trend is on the rise.

(Ek, Anant, November 21 and 22, India International Centre, 40, Max Mueller Marg, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi, 10 a.m.-12.30 p.m. and 6.30 onwards. Free by invitation, available at Sudhaaya Dance Foundation, A 5/19, DLF City Phase 1, Gurgaon, Ph: 9899085575, and venue. Ph: 011-24609322.)