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Celebrating the spirit of hope
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Art is change, art heals and can be effectively used to convey messages of hope, triumph or despair. New York-based Sudha Seetharaman's Bharatnatyam recital `Hope' was a tribute to peace in the wake of the September 11 tragedy. RANEE KUMAR reports.
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TIMES OF TRAUMA: Sudha Seetharaman displays the agony.
ART IS forever evolving and therefore the element of contemporary appeal is vital to its nourishment. Although this has been a sort of an adage through all ages, there are certain classical forms of art like dance and music which are treasures of all times, with topicality not being the sine-quo-non for survival. Yet, one senses the interests in such classical arts flagging in these rapidly changing times where novelty dictates patronage which in turn is essential to popularise an ancient art form and save it from withering away. Such trying circumstances call for constant innovation and the present generation of artistes, has realised that art for art's sake theory leads neither the artist nor the art anywhere and to that end is futile. It is to their credit that they have turned into artistic missionaries trying to bring about a renaissance, a renewed vigour and regenerate the classical art from falling into oblivion. In the arena of classical dance, we find any number of youth, talented performers who have turned preachers in a sincere attempt to appeal to the commoner as well as the connoisseur.
In order to be authentic in this world of academic accumulation they have also armed themselves with qualifications in their art unlike their counterparts of yesteryear.
Photos: Satish. H
TELLING TALES: Sudha dances against the backdrop of the video presentation.
New-York based Sudha Seetharaman's Bharatanatyam-jazz goes without saying that the East and West can truly meet, mix and make for a coherent whole, which proves that the world is but a global village. With the most graceful movements and footwork within the medium of Bharatanatyam, she danced her way into peoples' hearts to the backdrop of a video presentation of the beauties of creation by god and man, blotched by violence like the fall of the twin towers in the United States where one man's fury had a host of innocent brethren being razed to the ground for no fault of theirs. Thousands of mothers, wives, sisters and daughters must have lost their anchors and left to fend for themselves desolate, despaired and disconsolate. This coming from Sudha on the eve of International Women's Day was timely and touching. She carried out all the emotions of a woman through her abhinaya and light footsteps to the accompaniment of a melodious jazz. Though there was not much of a fusion between the two mediums, there was not an iota of a stray note in the entire 20-minute recital. The brevity gave the right mood and appeal, making the viewer want more of such beautiful presentations that have stirred at his/her heart-strings even as the aesthetics remained tightly in place. Right from the invocation to Maa Shaarada... to the light effects which were so crucial to catching the mood swings from happiness to fear to despair and finally to hope - Sudha struck the accurate notes that summed up the aftermath of a dreadful deed and brought in the very Indian spirit of hope amidst calamity that made the world still a livable place.
ANGUISH IN `ABHINAYA': Many a mood of the ballet.
Anand Kamalakar, the man behind the special effects is also charged with the same zeal as Sudha in terms of art and its reach. Together the duo started Trilok Fusion Arts Inc. in Brooklyn (USA) in 1996 with the noble idea of bringing varied artistes and art forms across the world under one roof, to co-relate, collaborate and create unique, aesthetic presentations that would draw audience from all walks of life into appreciating and atoning art as the most humanitarian medium that could bring everlasting peace and happiness to mankind. Well, in those eras where Indian classical arts thrived, there was never violence in such measures as we witness today. On the other hand, people lived in love and harmony irrespective of caste, creed or class. That automatically went to good governance too!
Trilok Fusion has also been a promotive agent to upcoming artistes and Sudha's concern now is to bridge the gap between the East and West since so many Indians of multi various regions and religions have flocked to the United States making it their home and yet have not cut off their roots from India. They should not suffer for want of identity and what else but art can bring about a merger in the most melodic way possible! The vision of Trilok, true to its name is all-encompassing - it has films, music, dance to its credit. The blend of the western and eastern into a creative, artistic expression gives it a new identity without having to root out individual identities which is an important ingredient to any form. When the goal is to create an awareness of art among all and sundry and help in keeping it alive, adapting the latest techniques available in order to appeal becomes obligatory. The purity of purpose is what calls for a tribute to such teams of young generation artistes who are striving to uphold the tradition under exacting and emerging environment.
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