CHENNAI: For a teacher, the Natya Kala Acharya Award from The Music Academy is the biggest recognition, says renowned bharathanatyam exponent, choreographer and teacher Leela Samson.
“It is a great honour for me to receive the award from such an esteemed institution. I am extremely delighted,” says Leela. She adds that as a performer, one is acknowledged by the audience, while as a teacher, the acknowledgement is from the students and their parents. “For a teacher, the recognition by a body like the Music Academy matters a lot,” she says.
Leela will receive the award at the inaugural function of the Dance Festival at the academy on January 3, 2015.
Leela has taught at Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra, Delhi and Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Delhi for many years. In 1995, she formed the dance group Spanda that focused on the traditional vocabulary of bharathanatyam.
Recounting her teachers, she says that she has learnt a lot from those who didn’t teach her dance. One of the disciples of the legendary Rukmini Devi Arundale, Leela was awarded the Padma Shri in 1990 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2000 for her contribution to the field of dance. “As a learner, I learnt from a number of people. There were different teachers in the same institution, having their own approach to the art. If I learnt about sahitya from one, another taught me abhinaya. But learning is never restricted with the gurus you have trained under. One can even learn from the instrumentalist like a mridangist. Watching some great artistes like Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair has been an enriching experience,” she adds.
Having witnessed the world of natya over the years in various capacities—as a learner, performer and instructor—Leela says that sadly not much has changed when it comes to teaching. “In fact, I addressed this topic in my lecture recently at the Narada Gana Sabha. Unfortunately, today many are too indulgent, a little materialistic and there is a lot of focus on quick tempo,” she adds.