Kathak dancer and choreographer Aditi Mangaldas talks to Angela Paljor about the need to embrace the technological aspects of today’s world and use them to further enhance the grandeur of classical artforms
Aditi Mangaldas’ elfin presence always sets the stage on fire. Her postures and expressions break the normative trance, initiating a dialogue that challenges the boundaries of purist interpretations in content, choreography and costume. Thus was her performance at Natya Ballet Centre titled, Within. A rivetting, two-part group performance on brutality stifling the inner voice of the soul as it refuses to see itself in the mirror and then a celebration of humanity as it unwraps itself from earthly layers of imposed ideas and reveals its true self. The first act of intense struggle and the ultimate fiendish conquest of the soul was done as a contemporary dance based on kathak, while the soul’s release was done in the ecstatic beats of classical kathak.
First staged in 2008, this has a contemporary resonance that seamlessly fits into every context. But its initiation goes back to looking at relationships and their multiple and diverse possibilities. “It began with the exploration of Shiva and Shakti which later became the subterranean stream that fed the work and became a statement on human polarities. Soon the world was shadowed by the Nirbhaya gangrape case in 2012 and as an artiste it was difficult to not be affected and thus it seeped into the work — questioning how brutality breeds within and how we as humans constantly embrace our brutal half. It also stirs the idea of whether humans are ever going to find another way of living.” Another aspect that she was greatly influenced by was the quote of Jiddu Krishnamurti, the great Indian philosopher — ‘Only when you find the true mirror that actually reflects who you are can change be possible.’ “Eternity is within you, it depends on us if we choose to look at the sun through it or hold it against the wall,” she adds.
However, she is not sticking to this form of choreography because its contemporary echoes resonate more strongly than ever before. Rather, “it was just something that compelled me at that moment of time to make this production what it is today. The first half is what I call contemporary dance based on kathak. It is about sowing the seeds of kathak and watering it with contemporary sensibilities, so that the tree grows with strong kathak roots but also branches out in various directions — creating different forms than the actual classical dance.”
But Mangaldas denies she has been able to secure acceptance of an equal space for both tradition and modernity. Neither does she want to rush into equity. For all her experiments, she still considers herself to be traditionalist. She believes kathak to be her foremost medium of communication for the past 52 years. “I have been involved in the study, the performance aspect and the exploration of kathak while trying to evolve a contemporary vocabulary. However, I wouldn’t give the latter equal importance as there is a long journey for contemporary as a genre to go.” It was one of the reasons why she refused a Sangeet Natak title for her innovations in 2012.
For Mangaldas, classical is not limited to conservation, rather conservation and exploration go hand in hand. “It’s a parallel journey,” she says. “Our traditions are like a river that is constantly rejuvenating and innovation is a part of it. Sometimes we get bogged down by the whole grandness of our historical and geographical heritage. But I think we should be informed, viewing it in the context of the air we are breathing today. That doesn’t mean that it has to be an intelligent look as everything is constantly evolving. Even if you look at kathak 20 or 50 years ago, there still will be a huge difference.”
But how did the streak of creativity find its groundIJ “Creativity and innovation go hand in hand for any true artiste but my guru Kumudini lakhia, acclaimed kathak exponent and choreographer, went beyond that. She would constantly encourage us to never wear blinkers and rather observe the surroundings. So the very sense of exploration started with her. Also, my family always encouraged debates, thus the need to question and not be limited to what has been dictated.”
However, the question arises when we look at the digital age, what is the connectedness of youth to classical traditionsIJ With online portals providing everything on a single click, Mangaldas believes that it is the experience of someone who is performing live that carries the value of that moment — going beyond time and space. “We can’t be blind to the digital age, neither can the technological advancements in today’s world be blocked. We need to be well aware of them and learn how to work with them,” says the ace danseuse who feels that it was her liberal family who never treated her and her brother differently, giving them equal opportunity as the reason for choosing kathak as a profession. “My parents encouraged the two of us to explore every possibility — be it music, dance, art, science and mathematics. They tell me that as a young child, I often stood on the dining table, trying to communicate with the family through different moves. Slowly, one by one, everything found its rightful place and dance became my means of communication. And I hardly have a memory of not dancing — it’s more like a family to me now.”
Be it classical or contemporary, Mangaldas relies on unique sounds and props for her performance. “There is always something that inspires you — be it a piece of art, laughter or the sound of water, which further develops when we talk to other creative people — they could be artists, painters and musicians. Together, the creative process develops into a concept. Following which we have a detailed conversation with the music composers which is a simultaneous process. At times the composers come to our rehearsals, get inspired and they send their music back or sometimes they expose us to their music first. Thus, it’s an open collaboration of people with diverse ideas, something that really excites me.”
Being involved in the process of consuming the world of multi-media into her dance, Mangaldas wants to wait and see where dance will be heading to. “Had someone asked me the question of where the art form is heading to a few years ago, my answer would have been probably judgmental and completely wrong. All I want is to dance to my fullest and see where it is going as life is full of surprises.”