In an effort to revive the fading Beary folk dances, Karnataka Beary Sahitya Academy will in association with St. Aloysius College offer certificate courses in Duff, Kolkali, Oppane Pat and Kaicott Patt forms of dances.
A training programme as part of the courses will be launched at the college here on Saturday, according to chairman of the academy Rahim Uchil.
Mr. Uchil said that the participants will be offered 30 hours of training in each form of the four dances. In all, 60 candidates, a majority of whom are non-Bearys and who are women, have registered for the courses. Training will be offered in batches. Each batch will comprise 12 candidates. Once they completed their courses, a joint certificate will be issued.
He said that except Duff dance, Kolkali, Oppane Pat and Kaicott Patt forms have disappeared in Karnataka. Citing an example, he said that if there is a need for Oppane Pat dance, a troupe will have to be hired from Kerala. Some troupes from Kerala charge up to ₹1 lakh per performance. Alva’s Education Foundation in Moodbidri managing Alva’s College has trained some students in the Beary folk dances and those students have given performances at Alva’s Virasat and Nudisiri events.
The 60 participants will be trained based on their interest in the dance forms. The objective is to groom performers and nurture the fading art forms.
Mr. Uchil said that on a request from the academy, Mangalore University has agreed to offer certificate and diploma courses in Beary art forms from the academic year 2021-22. It has formed a committee to prepare syllabi. The academy has provided the university a list of 19 resource persons to help the university in preparing the sylllabi.
The academy has been striving to revive the forgotten Beary folk forms, he said.