'No publisher wants to print a book on dance'

Dance historian and critic Ashish Mohan Khokar spent the last 12 months travelling across India hunting for solo male classical Indian dancers, and returned with but a few names. In the latest issue of his annual journal Attendance, you meet seven guys who want to make you say, dance like a man

It isn't available at your neighbourhood bookstore, though any classical dancer, student or researcher will tell you he's heard of it. Attendance, the annual dance magazine that launched 12 years ago has a brand new edition.

The 2009-10 issue kicks off a series that explores the life of surviving solo male classical dancers, and an update on the Madras Season: a year-end celebration of the arts scheduled to be held in Chennai.u00a0



Dancing on stage
Despite being born to dancer parents, publisher and author Ashish Khokar has never stepped on stage. "I was too nervous," he says over the telephone from Bengaluru. Stage fright didn't leave him although he trained in Kathak, Bharatanatyam and Odissi.

"Perhaps if we had shows like Boogie Woogie then, I would've mustered up the courage," laughs Khokar, whose father Mohan Khokar was a noted dancer. The son chose to turn critic instead, and has over 35 books on the performing art to his credit.

No more than 10 to go
Khokar spent most of last year scouting the country for solo male dancers. Each state in India threw up no more than 10 names. "Most high art events held in India are free. So there's hardly anything in it for the performers. Unless the dancer has a female partner or is part of a group, it's tough to find patronage. Solo male dancers rarely get any publicity," Khokar reasons.

Looking for creativity
While on his search, Khokar was keen to find names who injected creativity in dance, the way late cultural icon Uday Shankar did, combining western theatrics with Indian classical dance. As did dancer-choreographer Daksha Seth, whose technique is inspired by Kathak and Kalaripatattu, Kerala's martial art form. "Isn't it evident in her daughter Isha's (Shravani) biscuit commercial?" he asks, referring to the smooth moves the actress daughter exhibits while trying to pocket an irresitable biscuit from actor Hrithik Roshan.

TRPs and dance don't groove
Talk of the tragic state of dance stands in sharp irony against the burst of dance reality shows crowding every channel. Khokar has mixed feelings. He is glad that Indians, otherwise a shy bunch, are loosening up. "But the judges hardly know their dance, and the kids are made to do cheap acts."u00a0

What Khokar would love is for dance to get its due. "Today, if you are looking for a book on dance, you are likely to be directed to the gardening or hobbies section. No publisher wants to print a book on dance unless there's a known name involved. And when they do, the books cost a fortune."

Until better times prevail, Khokar says he will continue with retailing Attendance at select outlets, although it's his dream to make it available to all. The other, is to be up on stage some day.

P. Praveen Kumar
A bharatanatyam bhakta who focusses on bhakti-infused aspects of dance, he has specialised in nayaka-padams (love songs by males; although traditionally these are female-oriented). He has conducted extensive research on abhangs. He also sings and teaches dance.

Tushar Bhatt
He undertakes kathak that is deep and grounded. There is nothing flimsy or light about his art. He is a dancer with solidity of foundation and form. Bhatt moonlights as costume designer; that's how he makes his bread and butter, he admits.

Seshadri Iyengar
Iyengar is a Bharatanatyam dancer known for impeccable technique and quick-silver delivery. He is an international professional, with long half-yearly performing stints in UK and USA.
A trained homeopath, he has now taken up dance as a full-time profession.

B.P. Sweekruth
He is the young face of new kathak, full of eclectic energy. He is a budding dancer from Bengaluru and is deeply committed to dance. He does nothing else!

Satyanarayan Raju
Raju is Bengaluru's senior-most male Bharatanatyam soloist. Adept at both, technique and abhinaya (expressive dance), he is a complete dancer with high aesthetics and artistic outreach.

K. Murlimohan Kalva
He dances, teaches Kathak and promotes dancers through his own festival called Nadam. A communications expert at ABB, he is also the ever-helpful dancer who loves to train new talent.