The role of publicity and performing dances

Subashini Pathmanathan

About nearly 20 to 30 years back the general public showed great interest and involvement in the traditional art forms. But today the interest of these dance forms is considerably declined. Specially most of the traditional dance forms except a few limited shows, have lost their pristine purity.

The approach of dance field could be divided into two different angles. One approach is based on the students' angle, and other approach is based on the teachers' angle. Ten years back, the total number of students involvement specially in the traditional classical Bharatha Natyam field is much more greater than the present era. Today lack of dedication among the teachers is the common feature among the teachers. The main aim of the dance teachers is to project themselves as prominent figures. Most of the teachers seek too much of publicity through different mass medias at any cost. Mainly they try to seek the publicity through the print media. Some of the teachers are too crazy for their own self publicity.

The approach of dance field could be divided into two different angles

Most of the dance teachers do not have any dedication or devotion towards their selective dance forms. Most of the dance teachers do not pay much attention to preserve or protect the aged old traditional dance forms. They always organize colourful shows with Glamour and pomp. Majority of the parents do not aware or understand the value and worth of the art forms.

They trust these teachers are their mentors and send their children without knowing the real ability, capability, nature, and attitude of the teachers. It is a must that the students should participate in the dance programmes. Participating in the shows is a part and partial of the dance training.

Weekly shows

But after a public show, some photographers of certain dailies keep on repeatedly publishing big pictures of the same show week after week. Sometimes the general public is strongly and wrongly misled by this fake publicity.

It obviously implies the corrupt practices of certain photographers attached to print Media. Many of times the top hierarchy staff members of the dailies, has no more control over these photographers. Sometimes new faces that have entered into the dance field very recently are given wide range of publicity by the photographers attached to certain cultural issues of the dailies.

Even many of times, the dance reviews are written by the certain hacks in the print media. Unrecognized titles are very often used by these so called dance teachers, to attract the innocent public. Such false publicity would lead the whole art world to an adverse and miserable situation in the near future.

One should remember that it is the responsibility of a dance teacher to arrange stage programmes to cherish the interest of the students. Arranging such dance shows by the dance teachers are utmost duty of the dance teachers. Some teachers organize frequent shows with the intention to gain some sort of publicity. But they fail to understand the fact, that the frequent shows would definitely affect the general interest and enthusiasm of the audience and eventually the general audience loses the interest to see the same type of presentation of the same choreographer.

At present, besides the stage live programmes, numerous dance programmmes are freely available in numerous forms such as pre recorded vedio dance programmes, internet dance display programmes and plenty of traditional dance forms telecast in different TV channels daily.

To preserve the traditional dance forms from their decay, it is an utmost duty of the dance teachers to preserve and protect the dance, by adopting numerous constructive measures. To protect the traditional dance forms from decay, the dance teachers are supposed to arrange lectures, demonstrations, seminars and discussions about the existing traditional dance forms. In the practical dance field, besides the training one dance teacher must preserve and protect the art by numerous concrete measures.

Anyhow wide range of publicity is requested for a performing art form but it should be earned in a descent and disciplinary manner.

Advertisements and publicity are very much needed for business and marketing fields. But the approach and methodology of publicity level for a classical dance field is entirely different. Building up the reputation for a dance teacher is much more important, than seeking publicity. They are supposed to build up their name by their own hard work and acquired knowledge. Maintaining the self respect, reputation, identity and individuality are very much needed for a dance teacher, rather than seeking mere publicity through mass media. The dance teachers must earnestly take pains to preserve , protect and transmit the divine norms of the traditional art forms to the next generation.