Movement to inspire a cause

World famous danseuse and actor Shobana will grace an audience in the city this Sunday. She's dancing for a cause, and we're going to be there

A philosopher once said, "Dance is training your body to forget it," and that phrase has been and will continue to be the most definitive description of the art of dance.

Shobana, a dancer par excellence and the owner of her own school of dance Kalaarpana, will always be known as one of the most beautiful women South India has seen.

Famed for her brilliant performances in several movies such as Manachitrathaazhu and Mitr, my friend and her aesthetically mind-blowing performances on stage, that have received wide acclaim; the danseuse is now all set to give Bangalore something worth watching.



This Sunday, as a part of her interests in contributing to social causes, Shobana will perform at the Chowdiah Memorial Hall in a fun-raising event called Rudram 2010 for Vishranthi.

The performance will help to raise funds for equipment required by the Vishranthi Trust for their vocational training programmes conducted free of cost at a Vocational Training Centre on the Hoskote Malur Road.
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The centre provides adult literacy programmes for senior citizens and vocational training programmes for the rural unemployed youth.

We spoke to Shobana, to ask her about the performance and had a tete-a-tete with South India's most loved dancer. Here are a few tidbits from the conversation.

L Romal M Singh: We just heard about the performance for Vishranthi, so we were eager to know what you'd be performing.

Shobana: I will be performing a few pure Bharatnatyam pieces and a few fusion pieces that I've choreographed on my own. You can also expect to see glimpses of the Dashaavataaram (read below) and a few more modern pieces choreographed to today's moving times.

Emotion in Gesture: Bharatanatyam is defined as a dance that brings together bhaava (expression), raaga (music), taala (beat), and naatyam (dance) in perfect harmony

The Dashaavataaram: This refers to the ten avatars of Vishnu that are often used as the theme of several dances across Asia.

It's all about the inner feeling: Shobana is known worldwide for her brilliant expressions as a dancer.
In a day and age where the body seems to be getting more importance in the art, she reminds one of the good old days gone by

Social Responsibility: Shobana is a shining example of artists who love to give back to the cosmos what they believe they've got from it
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LRMS: Do you think classical dances are becoming more popular with youngsters these days, being a guru yourself?

Shobana: A lot more youngsters are definitely taking it more seriously the honed sensibilities that are required to appreciate the classical arts are becoming more commonplace and more people seem to appreciate these arts these days. I guess, the popularity is because people have learnt to teach these arts in a way that makes it comprehensible to today's generation. One has to inculcate those sensibilities in people for them to fully enjoy what they see.

LRMS: What do you think of Bharatanrittam as an evolved style?

Shobana: I appreciate what Dr. Padma Subramaniam has done for the art. She has spent almost half her life researching the sacred texts and has tried to make it more authentic by learning and questioning several dance forms from all across East Asia. She has proved to us that learning from the Guru can often lead to us learning only what we want to, and that going back to original documentation can sometimes be the best thing to do. I'm not sure if it is an evolved style. It's more like the base style that everything else seems to have been based on.

LRMS: You dance several forms of classical dance as we've been told, which are your favourites?

Shobana: Other than the most obvious first preference to Bharatnatyam, I love performing the Mohiniattam and Odissi styles. I have learnt both of these styles and I am also trying to master the Kathak style. I do however find it hard and a bit more difficult, maybe because it's so different.

LRMS: If you were asked to choose one classical performing style that you'd like to see more of, which would it be?

Shobana: Kathakali was a classical dance that has now also been given the status of a theatrical dance. I am intrigued by the form and would really love to spend time learning this complex performatory art. I feel like a layman every time I encounter this art form, the sheer vastness of its repertoire shocks me.

LRMS: Will we be seeing you in any movies soon?

Shobana: I hope so. No offers have come my way recently and right now it seems like I have been forgotten (laughs), but I wouldn't mind a few. (Shobana was last seen in the Malayalam movie Sagar Alias Jacky Reloaded that released last year).

LRMS: You have performed in Bangalore before, what do you think about the audience here in comparison to home-town Chennai?

Shobana: The Bangalore audience is so evolved. They've seen so much of culture from the world over, be it jazz, the blues, various forms of art, experimental art, etc.. The city's audience is so famous, that I personally know of artists who keep skipping other city performances to perform in Bangalore. The audience here is lovely, they're lively, and they're open to experimentation. They are open to anything new and come with no pre-conceived notions of what they'll see or experience. Maybe that's why they enjoy it so much and almost always return satiated. It's a pleasure performing for such an audience.

LRMS: Finally to end, do tell us of an artist you'd like to see getting more popular for her outstanding work?

Shobana: Methil Devika is a brilliant performer. She excels in Mohiniattam and has a solid background in Bharatnatyam and Kuchipudi. She is known in artistic circles, but I would really like to see her get more popular with the art-loving masses.

At Chowdiah Memorial Hall, Vyalikaval, malleshwaram
On January 24, 6.30 pm onwards (be seated by 6.15 pm)
For tickets Call 9035833557/9900584471
or check www.indianstage.in