Bharatha Natyam betrayed

Subashini Pathmanathan

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

The majority of the Tamil community all over the world preserves and protects this art form with full devotion and dedication.

Even the expatriate Tamil community has carried the religion, language, literature, music, paintings, sculptures, and social customs with them to the migrated lands. This dance form is totally based on well-established Carnatic Music.

Classical folk

The present day Sri Lankan Bharatha Natyam borrows some ideas from other classical and folk dances, but at the end the pure traditional classical dance form Bharatha Natyam, loses its essence and sense.

Moreover, competitions are arranged in this divine classical dance at different levels. Most of the student community and parents are very much keen to participate in the competition to win a certificate or a medal.

Nowadays many boards, organizations and universities conduct examinations and competitions. Majority of these competitions are unrecognized. Similarly Bharatha Natyam artistes are longing for unrecognized titles and awards.

Most of these titles and awards are awarded by unauthorized individuals as well as by certain unauthorized bodies. Most of these growing artistes are satisfied with this fake publicity. Due to these various diverted interests the present students have lost their interest in the stage performances.

Student attitude

The stage performances are definitely a must to improve their own standards and imaginative creativity.

Most students and parents are aimed to win the competitions. Dance is a performing art, but unfortunately the present generation students' attitude and approach are totally changed. Their only interest is to collect the maximum amount of certificates, medals and publicity.

Many dance teachers introduce numerous fusion and mixed assorted dances into this pure classical Bharatha Natyam to attract the mediocre level audience.

This is one of the main causes that Sri Lanka has failed to produce at least a few amount of professional Bharatha Natyam artistes in the Sri Lankan art world.

Earlier the traditional Gurus conducted the art not on the basis of time limit and prescribed syllabus, but they impart the art with full dedication and according to the I. Q level, standard and the involvement of the individual students. These traditional Gurus paid attention according to the personal ability, talents, age, and different category of skills of the student community. The earlier generation students studied in the ancient Gurukulams.

They studied under one and the same teacher and under the same style for a number of years together. The above said facts ultimately produced considerable amount of outstanding artistes to the art world.

From 1940s till today Bharatha Natyam is widely practising in Sri Lanka. But in the earlier generation at least quite a good amount of outstanding Bharatha Natya artistes, were in the performing art field.

But today most of the yesteryear performers have simply turned as dance teachers and had given up their stage career.

This is also one of the main causes of declining of experienced and professional artistes in the Bharatha Natyam art world of Sri Lanka.

Institutional methodology

Present Sri Lankan Bharatha Natya teachers are the products of the fine arts institutions. After the art has moved to the institutions, the methodology of teaching took a new turn and a new dimension.

The students in the fine art institutions study the art not under one and the same teacher as in Gurukulams.

It means that the same art is studied under numerous types of dance teachers at different stages in the fine art institutions.

The students are supposed to learn the same art, under numerous teachers. Numerous teachers handle the same art with different ways. Their ideas, approaches, views and interests differ from one another. But ultimately the interest of the students gets disturbed and distorted.

Different methods, ideas and approach of the different teachers definitely affect the student psychology. All these external factors sometimes affect the excellent dance career of the youngsters.

Most of the present generation dancers pay more attention on pure Nirtha, (Adavus or steps) which is much more mechanical. No much attention is paid to the important feature of the dance called Nirthya (facial expression, or Rasas emotional involvement).

Majority of the teaching community of Bharatha Natyam field all over the world have no deep dedication involvement or knowledge in the Hindu philosophy. This art is totally based on Hindu philosophy and Tamil culture. Most of the teachers fail to impart the art or induce or inspire the art among the students. The present day dance classes are very much commercialized. More than thirty to thirty five students are in one class. No proper attention is paid by the teachers.

That is also one of the main causes which forced to decline the standard of Sri Lankan Bharatha Natyam. Some of the Bharatha Natya artistes adorn themselves with the same Bharatha Natya costumes, make-up and display mixed variety of dances under the label and name of the Bharatha Natyam.

Ultimately they destroy the total sense and essence of the art. The above said facts are the main causes for the failure of Sri Lanka to produce a considerable amount of outstanding performers in the field of Bharatha Natyam.