Following my blog! I didnt quite know there is a fair amount of following of my blog and it is going to touch 10,000 views! Amazing. Well, the beautiful dance form is something everyone is now rediscovering for its true worth. The artistes are getting new recognition for their efforts. In my recent visits to the USA, the Orient and within India I find more people are getting interested in traditional art forms. More people are willing to spend money to train their children, take the effort to drive them to the classes and wait patiently outside for hours, go through the pain of getting the Arangerrams done. It is no longer fad, it is serious business.
Move over man!
Also I guess internet has also contributed hugely to this phenomena where people are able to track the best and also follow their favourite artists. Despite all this disconcertingly, the senior artists are still ruling the roost and in the process inadvertently denying the fair chance to the youth. Besides, such art forms as these require lithe young artists who could carry themselves in the stage. The elders should have the magnanimity to vacate the space and encourage the youth to take the centrestage as a show of their true maturity. Sharing of knowledge, researching and uncovering new knowledge nuggets is possible only if the elders turn to be mentors and not remain as competitors.
The ICCR show!
A serious research on some of the key shows that took place with government ICCR assistance in the last one year would easily tell you that 90 per cent of the funds have gone to a handful of senior artists which is pretty unfair. Someone in the profession should file an RTI to find out who has utilised the government funds, who has used the Doordarshan programmes, who has performed in some of the key government supported mega dance shows. A serious rethinking is needed to see that the big names remain big by mentoring and not by competing with the youngsters. This trend is not only in bharathanatyam, but in all art forms where government funding is involved.
Can someone also file an RTI to find out how much money was dished out, who benefited and what follow up action was taken while providing the ICCR scholarships. Here is the link http://www.iccrindia.net/otherschemes.html
Did you know that ICCR has dozens of Fellowships and Chairs abroad in practically every country you can think of. http://www.iccrindia.net/chairslist.html I wonder who used these funds and what follow up was done to pass this knowledge to the young artists in India.
Check this list and you can easily spot everyone who is anyone including the wife of a famous crickter is here. Most of the yesteryear artists who refuse to step down are also there in equal measure. http://www.iccrindia.net/iccr-annualreport-2010-11/Annexure%2011%20(Festivals%20of%20India).pdf
I rest my case!
Having said this, I must also place on record the tremendous contributions made by the senior artists like Padma Subramaniam, Alarmel Valli. Bhavalaya.com has an interesting collection of bios of leading artists of yesteryears and not so yester too! See this ">link