‘An artiste must relate with the world around’

Sucheta Bhide

An artiste must relate his or her performance with the dilemmas of the life and the problems we face today. Without that, the performance will remain as a museum piece. To bring heart and soul, we must have the resonance towards what is happening around, said Gowri Ramnarayan, a renowned writer, journalist and acclaimed dramatist.
Ramnarayan was speaking during Samvaad, a symposium held as part of a two-day dance festival ‘Parikrama- 2017’ which concluded on Sunday.

Renowned Bharatnatyam dancer Sucheta Bhide-Chapekar, Arundhati Patwardhan, secretary, Kalavardhini Charitable Trust were present at the function, which was organised by the Kalavardhini Charitable Trust.  During the symposium, Ashish Khokar, author and curator of Mohan Khokar Dance Archives, spoke about the contribution of great dancer and choreographer Uday Shankar in the Indian Art Legacy.

Ramnarayan stressed on an artiste’s responsibility towards initiating a two-way process between audience and the artist. “Also, an artiste should keep all the windows open to get inspirations from life. “One cannot have any art without Rasikas — who are the audience with a heart similar to that of the artist. Their response turns artist’s expression to an artistic experience. With a dead audience, the artist’s performance will be at half level. The work of art is to create metaphors and images. With them it becomes universal & the audience become the co-creators,” she said.

Khokar said art can be learned anywhere and in any form. ‘‘An artiste must observe life. Through that he or she will get an extra touch while they demonstrate on stage and that will make them different from others.” The conclusion of the Parikrama- 2017 saw performances by legendary classical dancers. The festival, in its ninth year, witnessed the performances of renowned Kathak dancer Manisha Sathe and Bharatnatyam dancer Dr Sucheta Bhide-Chapekar on Sunday.

Manisha Sathe presented a composition by Sant Tulsidas —‘Jay Jay Jay Jagajanani devi’ — followed by some Trital compositions and Ginti. She concluded her presentation with the famous Jatayu Moksha Katha from Ramayana in classical Kathak. Sucheta Bhide-Chapekar performed ‘Tandav Nritya Kari Gajanan’, written by Ramdas Swami.
She also presented Balamuralikrushnan’s composition Gati Panchaknuti as well as Bhaktipadam, Shrungarpadan & Tillana.