SEVEN decades after the legendary Bharatanatyam exponent Rukmini Devi Arundale started her dream institution, the Kalakshetra Foundation has today become a name to reckon with, in reviving one of India’s oldest traditional dance forms.
With time, as the academy’s eminence grew with regard to its syllabi, system and students, its roots have spread far and wide in creating a worldwide repute of being “the only institution which has a detailed, standardised syllabi which covers all the aspects of natya; both theory and practical,” as renowned dancer, Dhananjayan observes. One of the most prominent students of Kalakshetra himself, along with wife Shanta Dhananjayan, he says, “Kalakshetra has combined the Gurukula system of training along with modern techniques.
Its quality training brings students from other countries too. Also, a formal certificate of dance training goes a long way in providing opportunities. In Kalakshetra, natya is taught as not just a physical aspect, but an art form. A student from Kalakshetra is a preference, more particularly as a dance teacher due to all these reasons.” Anjana Anand, a young danseuse and a Kalakshetran swears by the esteemed institution and strongly believes that a degree from Kalakshetra is a passport to various avenues. “A student of Kalakshetra certainly has more opportunities knocking on her door,” she says.
Among various other famed dancers, senior artiste Nandini Ramani believes that while a degree or diploma from Kalakshetra is always valued, in the real scenario, any aspiring dancer has to struggle to make a mark. “It’s true that a student of Kalakshetra has a sound knowledge of theory and practical, thanks to its rigorous discipline and training. As long as they are inside the institution, students are given great exposure through performance oriented programmes and are well-versed with it by the end. It inculcates values to exude real talent and efficacy in performance that bring to us great opportunities,” she points out.
Young contemporary dancer Preethi Athreya says, “Kalakshetra’s training does not stop with dance, the repertory and aspects like the adavu but also goes on to train the students in music and other allied arts. It has a standardized system of education with regular exams being held.
This aspect may not be of a greater or lesser value inside Chennai, but acts as a steady, verifiable process. That it is affiliated to a university also helps one pursue an academic career,” she points out.
Preethi adds, “While Rukmini Devi’s modernist approach to Bharatanatyam will always be valued, performance is a different ball game. Kalakshetra doesn’t give you an edge over others there.” Senior artiste, RLV Anand seconds this thought and asserts, “The discipline, knowledge and standard that a Kalakshetra student has, is extraordinary, but opportunities cannot be created that way,”
Leela Samson
It’s a proven fact that a Kalakshetra student has an edge over others. The student’s exposure to architecture, temples, artistes and languages is wide.
Training is aimed at understanding art in all its plurality. When a student is trained by an independent guru, factors like the parents’ relationship with the guru could affect the training adversely.
But in Kalakshetra there are no such bearings. Kalakshetra students make really good ‘team people’.
One-on-one training can never provide that.
It’s true that various institutions have been started by established dancers, but even they prefer Kalakshetra students as teachers, as they need efficient and respectful dancers
Anita Ratnam
I am a Kalakshetra graduate myself but I definitely do not agree that a Kalakshetra student has an edge over others in terms of performance opportunities. I think the Kalakshetra style of Bharatanatyam, the ‘gender- neutral style’, which was developed by Rukmini Devi has become the most recognised, as it enables, both the male and the female to learn and perform Bharatanatyam.
There has been an explosion in Bharatanatyam teaching, learning and exploring opportunities.
If a dancer likes a particular style, he/she can always adopt it. As far as teaching is concerned, it is completely up to the individual’s capacity and every school is spawning so many teachers.
Of what I’ve seen, there are fewer Kalakshetra students preferred for teaching classical Bharatanatyam. In fact, there are more Kalakshetra graduates who are a preference for contemporary productions, because of the clean, geometric lines that the Kalakshetra style has. That way, the students have an edge.