While the artistic world in Kathak does focus largely on legendary performers and Gurus, often coming from hereditary families, I believe that there is also another way to look at it as many a times it is people in our lives like our mothers and teachers, that bring out unexpected and sometimes legendary aspects in us. This tattva is what constitutes the spirit of mentor-ship, much needed today in a world where multitasking and multiple-professions seems to have become the norm. This is what motivates me to write about Guru Renu Sharma or Renu Didi as she is called by her students. In her own words to me , 'Be cool like Lord Rama.I will be there to remind you of your prowess just as Hanuman always needed to be reminded of his mightiness and power to move mountains !! ', lies the seed of true mentor-ship
With Students after a Rehearsal
Having received her training in Lucknow from the masters of the the art form, she graduated in Kathak from the Bhatkhande Sangit Vidyapith and went on to receive the national scholarship to study at Kathak Kendra. Not many know that she had actually been placed at Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur post her Honours graduation in Physics. It was Pt Birju Maharaj, who over a dinner at their residence nudged her family into sending her to Kathak Kendra. At once fearless,but at the same time traditional, adapting herself continuously to changing times, but retaining the wisdom of Awadh, she truly resonates the paradox of being a modern-traditional.
L: Renu Sharma with Pt Birju Maharaj and Guru Vikram Singhe R: In Laya Parikrama-1981
She currently straddles two worlds, one as the director for all activities and classes at Pt Birju Maharaj's Kalashram Mumbai, where she brings the subtle nature of Lucknow culture into Mumbai's fast paced students. and another as the secretary. ALPIKA, Lucknow's premier cultural organization where she takes a little essence of Mumbai in her role as an art curator bringing a lot of organization into Lucknow's cultural scenery. From her I have imbibed over the past decade, the ability to create new concepts out of 'fragments of ideas' as well as explore poetry from Tulsidas, to Sumitranandan Pant to modern day Ruskin Bond, within the framework of Kathak.
A repertory member of Alpika, and student since last 6 years, Anupriya journeyed from Varanasi to Mumbai to pursue her singing career. Through her journey in Kathak she now finds herself greatly enriched in exploring the emotions(bhaav) when singing any line. Renu didi has been mentoring her both in her kathak and music ventures, often bringing them together as Anupriya composes new songs to add into the kathak repertoire, under Renu didi's direction.
L: Anupriya and Renu Didi R: Antara and Renu Didi
Today Apr 30, a day after the world dance day is her birthday and I conclude by sharing a sweet birthday message from Anatara. Having learnt from Renu didi (Renu Ma'am for her) since she was practically a toddler, Antara is a most promising students and a favorite of the rest of us students. For Antara, she is not a guru or mentor but second mother, an umbilical cord that has been forged through the art of Kathak.
The last two years I was a student at Bharata College of Fine Arts and Culture, which I have found a transformative experience totally worth sharing! Being a Nerd all my life, when I started learning dance, I automatically was drawn to the dance texts and history. Being a scientist, I used to wonder what is the science in the Natyashastra (it being called the Science of Art). Well the answer is, once one does a bit of underwater swimming in the pages of the shastras, one does emerge out breathless, but wanting to know more about the subtle , sometimes hard to grasp science of dance which truly is the science of life itself. The essence of the Natyashastra I found in the Sattvabhava or Samanyabinaya, which is elaborated in the 24th chapter. Upon reading that once realizes that the angik, vacik and aharya abhinaya that we spent the previous 23 chapters over, was just setting the stage for this glorious chapter that truly ties us to the rasa theory. When the dancer can feel and express the sattvik bhava, only then is the bhava translated to the rasika, in whose being the rasa can be evoked. Dance these days is many times focused on the angika, especially because there is so much to explore in that. But the sattva, which we do not think of in great detail is where the magic truly lies. In the Vishnudharmottara Purana I understood the mantra 'Rasa is Real' ie that which generates the rasa is 'real' art. This puts into perspective the importance of stylization and deviation from absolute reality in every Indian art. In the Malvikagnimitram of Kalidasa I learnt about how a student should truly be - one who takes a grain of knowledge from the Guru and works on it till it becomes a pearl. What a thought! recently, while anchoring a kathak evening at Kalashram Panchtattva Festival, I shared the same thought albeit impromptu to much appreciation of the audience. On that day I realized that its not learning the shastras but making them part of your own essence that is the true victory. When my friends jokingly say that I keep sharing my 'Bharata college Gyan' at the drop of a hat, I realize that the nerd in me is totally happy to her that! The examination pattern at the college pushed me to think of innovation while presenting the practical portion every semester. With the help of discussions with college kathak mentor Paullumi Mukheerjee I hit upon new narratives that I could present - A taal chakra of prime number taals, interlinked presentation between Geet Govind and Bindadin Maharaj Thumris, Connecting divinity with the taal eg Laxmi taal with stories of goddess Mahalaxmi and in the finale a Kathak Yatra based on 5 Mishra Jaati Taals , each connected with a different musical style. The preparation and planning for each exam sometimes bordered on crazyness, where it was a tightrope walk between 'Aa Bail Mujhe Maar' and 'Swantaay Sukhaay' ! Huge credit to the brilliant musicians Satyaprakash Mishra, Amit Mishra, Somnath Mishra, Alka Gujar and Harshal Wadavlikar who brought my concepts to life. The final cherry on the cake used to be expert touches by Renu Sharma didi that brought everything together! I was also lucky to be able to spend a number of hours with Dr Sandhya Purecha and Bhavna Shah, who often gave me books from her collection of more than 4000 books. For a bookworm like me , these were great treasures.Every conversation with Sandhya Tai opened some new avenues of thought and created the right perspective to tackle the shastras. Especially since Kathak is commonly considered to be more lokadharmi and a little distant from shastras, this was a game changing experience. At the same time a college always goes with college life and fun memories are part and parcel- eating yummy food from Anmol auntie who sold lunch outside the college gate, milkshakes accompanied with exam discussions, Paullumi di running behind me with a black thread to protect my injured leg after my ligament injury last year, Karan, my study-mate and me walking around shivaji park at 1 am eating french fries and icecream, the night before the exam while trying to mug up the genealogies of kathak families (trust me it takes a while), freaking out the first years with our supposed superior knowledge, so on and so forth. Kudos to Bhavna tai, who always made us laugh and feel at home! All in all an experience that has enabled me to be a thinking dancer, I highly recommend a dip in the shastras to everyone! A little tougher than a dip in the Ganga, but far more enriching! The more time we spend with them, we come across revelations that can change our life!
Today was the inaugural day of the Sanskriti Arts Festival at Thane Upvan and the ALAP Kathak Ensemble was given a wonderful platform to present Gazals on the Virasat Stage. I was joined by graceful ladies Trupti Chiwukula, Gayatri Bhat, Tejas Desai, Manisha Jeet and Paullumi Mukheerjee in presenting the different hues of love. Post performance, when hunger struck we wandered onto the upvan lake promenade and as we were eating, suddenly drifted to us the sound of one of my favourite songs 'Chowdhary' by Mame Khan. He was performing at the Tarang Stage and we finished our food and rushed to hear him. As we were swaying to his songs, he suddenly called on our group as he spotted from the stage that kathak dancers had wandered into the second row ( some of us still in costume ) . He invited us to come dance to to his laal meri followed by chhap tilak. Coincidentally chhap tilak was the closing piece of our kathak performance earlier in the evening. It was as if a greater divine force had conspired to bring us to that moment , unknown to us. As all of us danced away in uninhibited happiness ( Mame Khan ji being a total favourite among all of us) It was truly apparent that all we need is to dance ( taking a cute from the hit western number all I need is love).
Its moments like these that make all the hard work , pain and tears that go behind a performance , just evaporate into thin air and we reconnect with the reason we all began dance- just for simple undiluted joy! Leaving you with a small clip that was sent to us by an audience member who captured us in those wonderful moments...
Today I attended a wonderful talk on Divinity in Art organized by the New Age Sage in Andheri, Mumbai and hosted by Anurag Chauhan . The speaker Kalashri Lata Surendra, a Bharatnatyam veteran who has spent 5 decades on the stage shared moving experiences from her life on the challenges she faced in truly spreading the art and just like her name, the creeper of art had to be nourished by her against all odds.As she ended her talk by addressing the young artists in the audience, she said, 'Do not give up on art, hang in there!!'
(L-R: Jalpa, Guru Renu Sharma, Kalashri Lata Surendra, Shruti Vaidya, Sunil Sunkara, Anurag Chauhan)
Latakka, as she is called by her 'kannas', shared how her father was truly the driving force behind her becoming an artist. He is the one who told her that after every performance you see, touch the stage the artist just danced on, so you can get blessed by the vibrations. This propelled her with the desire that one day her father would watch her perform on stage. She mentioned here how important it is for parents to recognize the talent in a child and take them to the correct Guru for training. A lack of either can lead to improper nurturing of a child's talent.
'Become one with the pain' she further said. As a dancer, one has to overcome physical pain and not be affected by it. Just like in the Gita, Krishna says that a Dhyana Yogi is one who is untouched by the trials of the body or the surroundings, so should a dancer be, to experience the 'Sukha' of being one with the dance.
Lata Surendra and Anurag Chauhan in conversation
The pregnant silence between sound, the pregnant sound between silence... the pregnant movement between stillness, the pregnant stillness between movement... as a dancer one has to understand this in order to create. Rhythm is what makes a movement dance and is the absolute essence of life. At the same time one has to remember that we are recreating the stories of yesterday, in order to give the today the future. Thus innovation can be done, but not outside the bounds of tradition. While one has to be aware of the changing trends in society, one cannot forget, that stories and philosophies in our dance can help heal the wrong trends in today's society.
A sharing by Girish Dalvi on his Guru Dr Tushar Guha
l
When two people cross the path, eye meet, glances exchange and sometimes a conversation begins. It is this time that a relationship begins, we get introduced and discover something. Relationships are a part of life till the time one meets death. Nothing can be done without a relationship, each step builds a desire, a memory to discover self always.
Relationships are multipe for they are named differently, evoke varied emotions and have set boundaries. These boundaries are of compulsions, comfort, togetherness and sharing. One such relationship is between a student and his/her teacher. As cliché as it sounds, but our first teacher is our mother who introduces us to the journey of life till death. However, its boundaries restrict us to grow beyond a particular capacity, to a particular goal, discovering new learning’s. With age equation and boundary with mother restricts the learning, divides attention, cause this very teacher has helped us get introduced to new avenues. This is the time when we get introduced to someone who is more inspiring, very influential, giver, groomer to interesting and passionate learning’s and that is our beloved teacher.
They say, “A teacher is the most proudest when his/her student grows beyond.” But I feel, teacher at every stage has and is always one step ahead of his/her students primarily because, student’s achievement adds to the achievement of the teacher. It is the teacher who has allowed the student to think, to believe, and to evolve beyond so as to be able to experiment and grow.
Teacher and student relationship is very dramatic and always mysterious. And it is this very combination makes it special and keeps it going. The day the mystery does not exist, the bond and the need of the student and the teacher dies. Let us look at the relationship between a student and his/her Guru of performing arts. This seems special for it is a simultaneous run between student and Guru of coexisting to survive. Very few but blessed students have Gurus who let go and build their student’s existence through a happy and successful journey.
Here I remember my teacher, my Guru Shri Dr. Tushar Guha, Founder of Nrityanjali, the institution of performing arts, education, personality development and management services, based in Mumbai. He allowed me to realise my potential, build my self esteem and explore my dreams of desires in life. Though I on an obvious way began learning dance, I learnt much more that needs and is essential towards building equations and managing emotions for a better tomorrow. Learning that dance could be a medium to build ones sound and approachable personality was a boon. This helped me discover my skills beyond dance, into public relations and creativity that helped me have a safe and secured professional life. This automatically encouraged me to pursue my love for dance as passion while sustaining self for a better living.
Today I am a known artiste capable to perform Indian classical dance Kathak, Folk dances of India and be an able choreographer and manager. I am travelling around as a professional working towards training, education and social work, yet being able to introduce myself as a successful artiste. What I have tried to express is the need and the essence of the relation than about my Guru for I am no one to talk about him as it is beyond my capacity. The only thing that seems obvious is that every student of my Guru feels ‘I am special and very close to my Guru.’ Though obvious and visible among everyone, no one feels jealous of each other, but it has helped us build a strong bond. Jokingly we say that he is the centre of the circle that his students have formed and each one connects through him, like each Gopi connects to each other through Lord Krishna.
A few months ago, 22nd February saw the 73rd
death anniversary of Kasturba Gandhi. The only dancer to ever have distilled
the essence of Kasturba into a choreographic work is Guru Shama Bhate through
her work ‘Peed Parayi Jaane Na’, that I had the fortune of watching live on stage. Truly a testament to the fact that Kathak as a
form can be used to tell the story of any person, especially one whose story is
known by very few. The piece had no dialogues or monologues, sets or costumes,
just dancers in the role of kathakaars. The brilliance of Shama ji was the fact
that she got the viewer to focus on Kasturba’s emotional journey through the
depiction of emotion through Nritta and Nritya. A difficult medium to choose when telling
a story, the lack of song , poetry or dialogue was not missed due to the
singular focus on the sthyayi emotion or ‘bhava’ that each choreographic
section entailed. The use of multiple groups of dancers doing the choreography
on different levels of the stage ensured that the view focused not on the
choregraphy itself but allowed himself to experience the emotion behind the
work. In the process the viewer is also unsuspectingly
experiencing complex rhythm patterns, unique to Shama jis style.
It is always wonderful to see the Guru
through the eyes of a dedicated disciple. Shama jis style of teaching and
choregraphy has always drawn young dancers to her work .Following is a sharing by Nikhil Ravi Parmar, who is currently pursuing his MA in
Kathak at Pune University under the tutelage of Guru Shama Bhate. He was earlier a disciple of Guru Maya Rao and worked as a principal dancer of Natya STEM Dance Kampni.
'I would like to do it through a poetry that
I have written for her-
In the eyes of my Guru, I see hope…
In the eyes of my Guru, I see faith...
In the eyes of my Guru, I see light…
In the eyes of my Guru, I see the GURU!'
One often looks and wanders in search of
that one guiding light who will lead you to the end of the tunnel... my constant quest
of search lead me to the beautiful old
city side of Pune. Walking past the busy
streets, getting caught for parking on the wrong side and the fear of meeting
her finally lead to Leela chambers on Tilak road. As I walked in, I heard the
sound of the ghungroos playing a melodious rhythm and finally walking up to the
second floor I entered - Nadroop, a school of kathak and music. Nadroop is one
of the oldest schools of kathak in the city, this space has been graced by the
presence of some of the best Gurus and
legends in the field of dance and music. The walls of the studio give you a
sense of positivity, a sense of belonging and most importantly a space that has
the fragrance of hardwork and sweat!
As I entered the hall, my nervousness was
at its peak and there was a group of girls dancing to perfection, moving at lightning
speed and creating a space of trance -all this under the guidance of this lady
who was seated on the floor . My first impression of her was just DIVINE!
The nervousness in me saw no end- and
suddenly she stopped the rehearsals to have a word with us. After the formal
introduction, she said, "chalo kuch dikhao" and there I was almost
numb! Seeing the dancers there got me thinking if what I was going to show
would be fine but I managed to bring myself back to reality and presented my
first ever solo choreography -Drishti!
She sat there patiently and keenly watched, as I finished she smiled and said -
Acha tha! I liked your ideas but a lot can be worked on. From there I began a journey
that I never thought of, post the short meeting and sharing with her I left the
place amazed by the charisma of Guru Smt Shama Tai Bhate! I knew this wouldn't
be the end but definitely a new chapter that brought with it many questions
that I tried to keep answering!
With these thoughts, I left for Bangalore.
I was confused on a lot of points, and the only the person who answered all my
questions was Shama tai ,who had met me only once! She answered to all my
questions in a way that just made it easier to take decisions and finally I was here, in Pune, in
Nadroop under the guidance of this gracious lady- Guru SHAMA TAI!
The first rendezvous still lingers in my mind as I write about the teacher, guide, Guru
and most inspiring person in my life - Shama Tai. Every day she walks in like a
young little girl all enthusiastic and ready to create something new every
second. Her little mind calculating and multi-tasking of the various things
that she has planned for the day. From one role to the other she moves in
swiftly- housemaker to administrator to taskmaster and my favourite role-that
of the teacher!
All of us eagerly wait for her class, her
classes are not just about learning but they are also about the stories that
make her so vibrant. Her lessons keep your mind pondering and wandering. As she
takes class, she stops to explain the
nuances of the movement and that creates a moment of AH! In the atmosphere.
From being beautiful Radha, to notorious
Krishna she changes roles at a flip of coin - and all so effortlessly! She
creates a world that leaves me thinking...Was Radha really this beautiful? Did
Krishna really trouble his mother? Was
Shiva really fierce ?
Our endless conversations on topics that
vary from dance, music to politics see no end , to her stories of struggle(which inspire), her
ideas on various subjects everything speak of how magnificent she is! Shama tai
works endlessly and effortlessly in making everything work , so that all her
students get opportunities that she missed on. She sits with her students to
share a meal, shares endless time making sure every student from a kid as young
as 7 to as old as 60 leaves the class wanting for more. She stands through all
rehearsals , sometimes dancing herself and creating moments that need to be
witnessed! Shama Tai is a treasure trove of experience that needs to witnessed.
And every time I see her , I know, I will find my way through everything in
life. She leads you through her work that time and again reminds of the hard
work she has done to be able to give her students so abundantly!
Talking about her makes me emotional at a
very level that words fail to express, these words talk very little of the vast ocean that she
is, Shama Tai for me, has lead through example. Like a Leader she takes along
everyone , binding people and creating magic that one can only experience. She
leads silently, one step at a time and all you see is her unabashed youth which
leaves you inspired!!
Video of performance by Nikhil and his Gurubehen Meghna
‘Nature is
Dancing, it is from her that we have to learn’
Pt Birju Maharaj, Varanasi, 1 April 2011
This often
repeated line by the legendary kathak guru Pt Birju Maharaj, brings light to
the fact that nature is a constant guru for any kathak dancer, to be observed
and distilled into a kathakaars body.
The umbilical cord kathak shares with nature is apparent right from its
inception , comparative description in Abhinay Darpanam and allied
treatises on dance, to the presentation
of kathak on stage.
In
mythology, the beginning of Kathak is attributed to the approximately 5500 year
old episode when Lord Krishna(Natawar) danced on the hood of the snake Kaaliya.
The slapping of the soles of his feet on the hood on the serpent resulted in
the emanation of the sounds Tā, Thei and Tata, primary bols of
kathak. In the words of Pt Lacchu Maharaj, Tā is symbolic of Shiva(Nataraj) or Purush and Thei is symbolic of Shakti or Prakriti(nature). The union of Tā and Thei
gives Tata thereby representing the balance of Purush and Prakriti. This
episode is popularly represented in Kathak as the Kaalia Daman Gat Bhaav.
Significantly, through his dance, Natawar also brings attention to the fact
that his intention behind it was to clean the Yamuna river, made poisonous by
the serpents venom. This brings to light, the responsibility towards nature
that every kathakaar carries. Natawar Krishna is also referred to as Gopala(protector
of cows), and in many representations in painting and sculpture seen standing
with a cow or gaumata, who is a symbol of nature. In another episode, instead of worshipping Indra, Krishna told
Brajvasis to worship Goverdhan, as the mountain plays a vital role in
maintaining the balance of nature. This is another popular gat bhaav presented
by all kathak dancers, where the oncoming of dark clouds followed by cloudburst is emphatically
depicted through lively rhythmic phrases.
In literature, the Abhinaya Darpanam written by Nandikeshwar,
a treatise dedicated solely to dance and expression, carries references to the
gaits of various animals. Described in kathak context in the book Kathak Darpan
Deepika by Dr Rohini Bhate, the gaits of the peacock, deer, elephant and horse
are depicted through illustrations, keeping in reference the original Sanskrit
descriptions given by Nandikeshwar. Pt Birju Maharaj’s mayur(peacock) gat and mahout
gat as well as badak (duck) tihai are a favourite with all kathak audiences,
who never let him leave the stage without performing one of them. His lifelike
imitations through the kathak format are a classic example of art imitating
nature. The ghode ki chaal, or footwork depicting the galloping of the horse is
part of the repertoire of all gharanas of kathak. In his youth , Pt Birju
Maharaj is said to have performed in Jhansi, where the audience just wanted to
watch different depictions of the horse gait for more than two hours. Though in
its current form considered a Lokdharmi(life
oriented) form of classical dance, both textual references in the shastras as
well as performances by veteran kathak masters lend support to interconnection of kathak and nature as seen
previously in the mythological origins of kathak.
The interconnection of human emotions and nature is another
subject that is explored in kathak. The
‘Kumar Sambhavam’ produced by Sriram
Bhartiya Kala Kendra, Delhi based on the poem by Kālidāsa was the first kathak
dance ballet to have toured outside the nation in the 1950s. A central scene is that of Parvati doing penance
through the various seasons. Each season was depicted using various kathak
bandishes. The depiction of Basant or
Spring was done in Raag Basant by the bandish ‘Sab Ati Suhavana Ritu Basant’, which is danced even today as a
stand alone item to depict the arrival of love in the nāyikas life. In the
Sanskrit khand- kāvya ‘Meghadoota’ Kālidāsa
describes the various rivers of north India as various nāyikas, a popular
subject in kathak bhaav-paksh. The
depiction of a nāyika in Kajri, saawan geet and jhoola, the popular semi classical folk
music of Uttar Pradesh found a permanent place in the bhaav paksh of Kathak in
the late 19th century. These songs are often used to describe the
longing of a maiden for her lover, using the imagery of black monsoon clouds as
they arrive in the summer skies, while she eagerly awaits the arrival of her
paramour. Another often seen character in thumris and dādras is the koel
(cuckoo or nightingale) who plays the role of sakhi(friend) as well as
messenger to the lovelorn nāyika. The nāyika laments about her separation from
the nāyak, shares her jealously upon seeing the love birds mate as well as
requests the bird to bring her news of the nāyak. The panghat or riverbank has
been often described as a location for the meeting of Radha and Krishna and
their ensuing romance(ched-chhad). In the iconic Kavitta written by Bindadeen
Maharaj he says ‘Tata Tita Krita Radha,
Din Dinata Krita Dhyan’ , where ‘Tata’ is a reference to both the river bank
as well as the kathak bol. Thus nature is both a friend as well as a witness to
the hero and heroine in Kathak.
Nature becomes a valuable tool in teaching the body language
of kathak. Pt Birju Maharaj uses the movement of a snake to describe the
movement of the spine in the ‘meend’ and ‘aamad’ movements as well as the
serpentine walk in gat nikas (stylized gait in kathak nikas pose). The opening
of the wrist in a sama position is very similar to a cat rubbing itself against
its master, starting from the nose right upto the tip of the tail. Every muscle
from the finger tips to the wrist is sequentially opened in lightening speed,
as if the entire hand is caressing air. The Parmelus
that are danced in Kathak Nritta use the sounds of nature like Taka Taka (pecking of woodpecker), Jhijhikita (sound of cricket) , Kuku (call of the cuckoo) etc.
Intermingled beautifully with dance and pakhawaj bols. Thus every kathakaar can
learn from nature and draw upon this wonderful umbilical cord of creativity.
