Contemporary dancer Santosh Nair thinks that the dance form has the freedom to explore and interpret
How is contemporary dance a break from classicismIJ Is it going away from classicism and reinterpreting it itself or is it going away completelyIJ
Contemporary dance to me or otherwise moves with time. It does not propagate classicism. It has the freedom to explore and interpret. Hence I think it is surely not close to classicism.
Tell us about the constant change in themes. Where is it now and what themes do you think the genre will take on in the futureIJ
The themes in contemporary dance are varied. The themes have changed over the decades from Mallika Sarabhai’s depiction of dowry suicides to depiction of yoga by Chandralekha to a choreography of cricket by lata Pada. But the now always influences it more. The choreographers in contemporary dance, again, have the freedom of expression. So even in future the themes or concepts will surely revolve around the current scenario to some extent.
How is the present generation taking to the dance form and what is the extent to which one can innovate upon itIJ
The students today are really taking it up with more enthusiasm. It is not only just about freedom anymore. It is a language a language that you choose to tell a story. Whatever may be it. The whole process of contemporary dance revolves around exploration and innovation, apart from techniques and training. This process only leads to discovery. So it is actually quite difficult to say to what extent we can discover. It is an ongoing process.