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The dancing philanthropist
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Bangalore-based Mohiniyattom danseuse Kalamandalam Radhika has started a scheme to help indigent artistes in Kerala and Karnataka. She was in the city recently,
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HER ASSOCIATION with Kerala goes back a long way - right back to the late 1960s when she was a small girl who had come down from Bangalore to Cheruthuruthy and stayed at the Kalamandalam for four years. Her association with dance goes back even further - she started dancing at the age of three.
Since then, it's been a long haul for her. Some good, some not so good times. But Kalamandalam Radhika has weathered them all to emerge strong.
Dance apart, there's a philanthropic side to her. She is driven by the need to do something worthwhile for the artiste community. "It's said when an artiste is young, he doesn't have time for his family. And when he's old, the family doesn't have time for him. Who cares for the artistes? Not even the artistes themselves. They are thought to be the most unproductive people in society. But I wanted to give back something to those who have dedicated their lives to art," she says.
This is the third year of Radhika's charity trust, Nrithya Dhara. She ensures a monthly payment of Rs. 500 to four artistes in Kerala and five in Karnataka. Two others are expected to join the list of beneficiaries this year. "It's not much but that's what I can manage at the moment. I am not giving the excess money I have. It's not with the support of the Central or the State Governments. I have deprived myself of many things to raise it. It's the money that I get from conducting performances and workshops all over the world. I have put the funds in the bank and the interest I get is disbursed to these artistes as a monthly honorarium."
Radhika is in India only a few months every year. The rest of the time she shuttles between Europe and the U.S. where she has students of dance.
Are there any takers for Mohiniyattom abroad? "I don't say I'm teaching them Mohiniyattom. I tell them it's Indian dance. After around a month of intensive training, I move to my next destination. By the time I return, they would have perfected the steps. I then do a recap, to see where they have gone wrong. This is how interest in Indian dance can be built up. After all, they do not know our language or anything connected with Mohiniyattom. Gradually, I start teaching them short pieces. I even use German lyrics. The purity of the dance form remains, only the boundaries disappear."
So, how's it different from the dance back here in India? "Here they mix up the mudras of different dance forms, and present it as a cocktail. It's the same for Mohiniyattom. The authenticity is missing. When I finally decided to concentrate on Mohiniyattom, in the late 80s, I stopped Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi altogether."
"My Mohiniyattom is very traditional. It's full of lasya. When I learnt dance under Kalamandalam Satyabhama, Chinnammu Amma and Padmanabha asan, Mohiniyattom was still a semi-classical dance form. The syllabus was not fixed. We often practiced a single step for a week. We trained under the gurukula system and there was constant interaction between the teacher and the student."
Today, she says, things are not so simple. "The gurukula system is non existent. The respect due to teachers is missing. The teachers are not paid enough. And students often go on strike. For them, dance is just a stepping-stone to other things. They pursue it to earn the Kalapratibha or Kalathilakam titles."
She is vocal in her criticism of youth festivals. "One cannot be a master of all arts. Titles such as Kalathilakam cannot determine the calibre of an artiste. It's not possible in a mere 10 minutes. And again, who are we to give marks to art?"
So, why did she agree to judge the University youth festival in the State? "I wanted to see the latest innovations in dance. It's also an excuse for coming to Kerala," she says.
Looking back, does she have any regrets? "Yes. There are long gaps in my dancing career. I grew up in an orthodox family and except my father, there was no one to encourage me. After the years at Kalamandalam, I came back to Bangalore. And then studies, marriage, kids... There was no one to support me. I had to look for motivation within myself."
Radhika has held performances and workshops all over the world. She's a member of the UNESCO International Dance Council and will take Mohiniyattom for the first time ever to the Global Dance Fest to be held on March 7. She also plans to present a paper on Mohiniyattom at the World Dance Congress.
R. K. ROSHNI
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