Changing attitudes towards classical dance

Subashini Pathmanathan

Development of dance

* Previous generation had enough freedom to practise arts
* Those confined to apartments find it difficult to go through practice
* Modern generation is too lazy to practise dance in depth.
* Parents must give necessary background
* Present attitudes of teachers must change.
* Teachers must respect the tradition.

The present approach, understanding and handling towards the ancient cultural assets are totally changed in the present modern society. If we analyze the basic cause, there are so many practical factors, which are fully responsible for this change. One of the causes is present lifestyle, living in the metropolitan atmosphere, is entirely different from the earlier life pattern.

Earlier, the lifestyle was free and the joint family system prevailed in the society, but the present generation people live in a community life. The families are living almost in the apartments, where the children have limited freedom to play in open-air places and they are forced to be confined within a limited area.

Even to practise their extra cultural activities, especially dance, the chances are quite remote or limited because when they practise the vibration problem would affect directly the occupants of the direct down floor apartment. Hence, most dance students who are living in the apartments generally face numerous practical difficulties to master the dance forms. Hence, the dance classes are the learning classes as well as practicing classes for the majority of the present generation student community.

In the average middle class families, most of the families both the parents are working, who cannot effort to bring their children regularly to the extra curricula activity classes due to various difficulties. Some of the parents and the students take the traditional dance classes in a very light and easy manner, yet the students who have enough facilities to practice even they do not bother to do any physical self practices, due to laziness or their diversion of interests.

Modern generation of children have more comforts than the earlier generation. Numerous indoor games, which are freely available at homes, such as TV shows, computer games, and internet facilities.

Earlier generation parents were the backing and driving force for the present generation professional classical dancers, and dance teachers. However, majority of the present generation parents do not insist their children to do the practice at home. Self-practice is very much needed for the students. Some of the parents send their children to the dance classes, just for exercise purpose only, majority of the parents feel that their children should not take-up dance as their profession, because this profession is a life long stuggleful career as well as less scope for earning venture.

Instead of preserving the pristine purity of classical dance form now self-styled dance form have emerged. One is creative dance form, other is fusion dance form, and another one is contemporary dance form or modern dance forms. Most of the present young generation children are mostly fascinated by these types of thrilling dances rather than the pure traditional classical art forms. One must learn the traditional dance forms systematically. If anyone learns, the basic steps of any traditional dance form it is easy enough to follow these present modern dance forms.

The student community is very much keen to earn and collect the maximum paper qualification certificates, rather than practical stage experiences. Stage performances are much more important for a performing art than the paper evidence. The present attitude of the teachers in this field is also one of the causes for the declining interest in the classical dances. The teachers also considerably blamed for this present pathetic situation.Majorty of the classical dance teachers want to gather maximum number of students, even in the performances.

The teachers should consider, the Standard of the students is much more important than the number of students. Most of the teachers’ aim is to fill up the hall, and encourage the maximum number of students to take part in the performances, without considering the standards, and the conveniences of the students.

One must understand the quality of the performance is more important than the quantity of participants. The parents trust and send their children to the classical dance teachers to learn the classical dance properly. All the classical dance teachers must encourage the students to wear the traditional well defined and designed costumes of the selective dance form and adopt the appropriate hairdressing and selective make up of the particular dance form. To attract the students, the teachers should not exploit the students; by inserting their own ideologies under the label of a particular classical dance form.

Traditional dance forms should adhere to the standards. and the classical dance forms have no room for modification, or modernization, preserving the purity of the traditional classical dance forms is utmost important and transmit these valuable dance forms with traditional essence and values to the next generation.

Dedication, sacrifices, interest and involvement are equally important and need for the teachers as well as for the students community together.

The selection of a proper teacher for their children is very much important for the parents. Instead of selecting the proper teacher due to various practical difficulties, the parents use to send, their children to the nearest dance classes. Sometimes that might affect the lifelong dance career and the interest of the children. However, earlier generation parents were perfect in selecting the proper dance teacher for their children, without considering the distance.

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