Madhu Nataraj, Director, Natya Institute of Kathak and Choreography, from Bangalore was invited to perform at the recently held Nritya Sanrachna Festival by Sangeet Natak Akademi at Imphal, where I watched her perform along with STEM dance Kampni dancers.
Madhu, a performer, choreographer, educator and arts entrepreneur, was chosen as one of India’s 50 young achievers by India Today. She has received several awards, recent ones being the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar from Sangeet Natak Akademi and the Mohan Khokar award for excellence in dance.
In this conversation, the choreographer explains her drive to push the frontiers to evolve new expressions in the language she knows best — dance.
What attracted you to come back to India though you were poised for a career in contemporary dance in New York?
Although I trained in contemporary dance in New York, I returned to India with a vision to create a unique dance company with its own distinctive contemporary Indian dance identity — the Natya STEM Dance Kampni. I firmly believe dance is a potent medium for a change in the public domain, ranging from education, social issues, creativity, documentation to healing. I therefore returned to my home country to implement this philosophy.
What has been the philosophy of Kampni?
STEM stands for Space Time Energy Movement. I created STEM as the contemporary dance wing of the 45 year old Natya Institute of Kathak and Choreography, headed by the illustrious Dr. Maya Rao, to explore and create new expressions in Indian dance. I have produced 75 choreographic works — short pieces and productions in the 16 years of the Kampni’s existence and I am often invited to perform, choreographic works for prestigious cultural organisations across India, UK, Australia, New Zealand, UAE, Asia, Europe and USA
What was your early training in dance like?
I think I learnt more through osmosis before starting my training. The sound of the ghungroos must be a womb memory! I trained in Kathak from ma – Dr. Maya Rao and from my aunt – Chitra Venugopal. I studied contemporary dance at various studios in New York like the Jose Limon company but came back earlier than planned to work on and create an Indian contemporary dance idiom.
I believe dance is my sibling in some ways! I see it as a space of great inspiration, humility and healing. Dance to me can’t exist in isolation. We can see this as a reiteration of the Natya Shastra or even in the modern context where collaboration has become my signature style
What is the single most important characteristic that you have imbibed from her?
Ma stopped performing after I was born. She gave me birth at 42, something unheard in those times. We have seen some footage and lots of photographs and can only imagine that she was grace personified. Even when she taught or choreographed, her dance was such that she brought back the nostalgic era of old world charm and stillness that Kathak was once known for. I learnt to live my life with dignity as I perceive it, approach my work with integrity and most of all to go through life and dance with fluidity not aggression.
What was your role and contribution in “Maya Link and Echoes”?
I conceptualised “Maya- Links and Echoes” for the SNA festival and the Kathak Mahotsav in New Delhi. From Dr. Maya Rao’s earliest works like “Chaturang” and “Jhinjhoti Taraana” created in the late 1950s to works from the 70s and 80s into her swan song — “Kathak through the Ages” which she choreographed at the age of 86. I took excerpts and linked them through a mood thread through multi-media — her old pictures, excerpts of her lectures from the lecture series we brought out called “Maya to Matter” and more. I had a lovely team from our Kampni helping us mount this labour of love.
