Inadequacy of Bharatha Natyam professionals

Subashini PATHMANATHAN

Bharatha Natyam is based on spiritual history. It is a Tamil classical dance form, which was fostered in the Tamil country many centuries ago. This ancient dance form which is based partly on ancient Tamil heritage and culture. Above all, it is totally linked with spiritual Hindu philosophy and Hinduism.

Majority of the Tamil community all over the world preserve and protecting this art form with full devotion and dedication. Even the expatriate Tamil community carry the religion, language, literature, music, paintings, sculptures and social customs with them to the migrated lands. This dance form is totally based on Carnatic Music.

Indian approach

Sri Lanka is one of the important neighbours of India. Many Sri Lankans normally go to India and learn a variety of Indian classical dance forms. Still many artistes and students are going to India to learn or brush up or master their own selective dance forms. Indian artistes approach towards their art forms which is quite different from the Sri Lankan artistes’ approach. Most Indian artistes are totally committed to their selective traditional dance forms. They are fully dedicated to their art throughout their lives, despite of the fact, whatever the present era challenges. Most artistes are in the performing field and hardly give up their career in their life. Naturally these challenges come in the form of personal, social and cultural basis.

Once when they adopt a particular traditional art form they are almost committed to the performing field. But unfortunately in Sri Lanka, especially those engaged in the field of Bharatha Natyam, remain as Bharatha Natyam teachers after a particular stage and age. To be a performing artiste one has to perform continuously without much break. As compared to India the sponsors for the cultural events are extremely remote. A dedicated Bharatha Natyam artiste must try to cherish her or his own skills in numerous ways. It is expected that the Sri Lankan Bharatha Natyam artistes must be aware of the art form thoroughly, including the practical and theoretical dimensions of the art.

Lack of dedication is seen among the teachers. Majority of the dance teachers are always behind advertisements, seeking fake publicity and allowing the substitutes to take the classes. These are some of the main weaknesses and drawbacks in the dance field today.

Artistic dullness

The above said causes ultimately cause and affect the entire present and future Bharatha Natyam field in Sri Lanka. This is the main cause in Sri Lanka for the dullness in this art field. Bharatha Natyam is a lively art. No doubt this is a physical art.

Most teachers who are the mentors of this sacred art field, fail in their duties to encourage, and lead the next generation to take up dance as their profession. To satisfy the students they encourage the students to earn more and more certificates in the field. They encourage the students to sit for exams, which further emasculates the art.

Some of the teachers instead of inducing proper guidance to students, mislead them with limited training; the teachers encourage the students do the Arangetram. To enhance the dance and cover up the substandard level of Arangetram, numerous tactics are used. In between the dance Arangetram snacks are served. In some of the Bharatha Natyam programmes after the dance, dinner is served.

All the tactics divert the attention of the audience. Hence the whole dance programme is turned into an entertainment programme. At times the stage is over decorated. And more attention is given to the outside factors such as giving colour lights, and smokes.

Quite often the stage is over decorated with cutouts and temple-based sceneries. All these outside factors ultimately contribute nothing to the betterment or standard of the art. Instead of this it affects aesthetic value of the art.

At the end no attention is paid to improve the quality of the performer. Most yesteryear dancers only paid attention to the quality and standards rather than these above said facts. Most dance recitals nowadays have become an entertainment programme.

Utmost responsibility

Instilling the art into the younger generation is the foremost responsibility of teachers. Most Bharatha Natyam teachers never get up from the seats to demonstrate or illustrate the lessons during the teaching period. It is the utmost responsibility of the teachers to induce the students to imbibe the art. All the above said reasons attribute to the present stunned level of Bharatha Natyam in Sri Lanka.

During the post war period so many guest professional Indian Bharatha Natyam artistes visit Sri Lanka. For their dance recitals stages are not decorated or only with simple decorations. At their dance recitals only attention is paid for the quality and their standards. Outside factors are not given any attention to visiting artistes’ dance recitals.

The above said certain reasons are the main causes for Sri Lanka. That affects producing a considerable amount of outstanding professional dancers in the Bharatha Natyam field.