Bharatanatyam
"One of the most beautiful, subtle, sophisticated and
graceful dance forms in the world, Bharatanatyam is
performed according to the most delicate nuances of
a musical piece, or a poem, through the vehicle of a
body. Reflecting the principles laid down in the Natyashastra
treatises, it has survived in India in all its variegated
forms and moods which it has gathered unto itself throughout
the centuries." (Dr. Sunil Kothari - 1979)
Bharatanatyam is the most popular of the classical dance
forms in India. After a worldwide popularity explosion
in the second part of the twentieth century, it has
taken its own remarkable place in United Kingdom culture.
As more Indians moved to Britain from East Africa, India
and Sri Lanka, their desire to keep traditions alive
for the next generation increased the demand for learning
and teaching dance.
There
are many schools of Bharatanatyam - Pandanalloor, Vazuvoor,
Thanjavoor, Mysore, Kalakshetra etc., most of which
are taught in the UK. At a guess, teaching styles often
incorporate more than one school. Present day teachers
have been exposed, more often than not, to more than
their own parent school. As the demand to learn has
increased, so has the wish to measure the quality of
the learning and teaching.
Some
individual teachers set up their own syllabi and examinations;
the majority wanted an exam system that would have universal
acceptance. When institutes such as 'Akademi' (Academy
of Indian dance) began the research for syllabi and
lobbied with the ISTD Examinations Board, this resulted
in ISTD Grade Exams for both Bharatanatyam and Kathak.
Correct
interpretation of Bharatanatyam involves the understanding
of other art forms, particularly music; so when the
syllabus was created these other forms had to be taken
into account. If the present syllabus is interpreted
and taught in its entirety, it will produce a dancer
with real understanding of music theory and the aesthetics
of the dance form. It is designed to develop competent
and confident dancers for the next generation who would
be performers and become trainers of a future generation.
After
examiners' training sessions run by the ISTD, the first
set of exams took place in London in 2000. Since then,
many centres in England and Wales have conducted these
exams successfully and to date 193 students have taken
exams in Bharatanatyam.
The
syllabus has attracted considerable international interest.
Although so far the exams have only taken place in the
UK, dancers in Canada, the USA and even India are learning
about them and considering introducing them in their
own countries.
Lata
Pada is a renowned Bharatanatyam dancer in Toronto.
She describes the present syllabus as follows:
"The
Bharatanatyam syllabus for ISTD is very well conceived
and structured and has been painstakingly prepared to
create a strong curriculum. It is also an invaluable
resource for teachers and students, guiding them in
the systematic preparation for the various grading levels.
It takes into account the many stylistic variances of
Bharatanatyam technique and its execution."
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