Responses to the conference

Suresh Kaliyath in Ottan Thullal

The PURUSH conference has not till its last day touched really on the MALE GAZE, which until recent years meant only the heterosexual aspect.The fact that such a dynamic conference is taking place in a very conservative Madras (where humour and audience are in short supply too!) and that too in Mylapore, the very bastion of traditional culture, is an achievement! Anita Ratnam and Hari Krishnan and their team of many young volunteers, have shown the way through professionalism and dynamism, what a benchmark in aesthetics (esp. of stage), range of performances (Navtej and Ottan Thullal the clear winners), time management and inclusiveness this event has been. 

Ashish Mohan Khokar, 

editor-attendance

chair-Dance History Society

Audience Responses

Life gets in the way for people to actually come and enjoy art made by others. We need to respect that others at home make their own art. Unless they have a stake, people have no time to spare. If their kid is dancing, parents show up!! Otherwise they want to simply sit at home and peacefully drink coffee and watch TV which involves no stress of commute or cost. 

It is best to accept that if we teach more dance, more people will be aware and interested and even watch with a greater than normal understanding of the dance. 

Please don't dissuade people from teaching dance. Regardless of style or quality, they bring joy around them and bring some hope, smiles, organised activity, exercise for the body etc, self confidence, feeling of belonging to a class, discipline etc. This in itself is good for the world. 

Parshwanath Upadhye

It's wonderful to see such perfection, vigour and more male uplifting choreographies presented by

vibrant dancers such as Parshwanath Upadhye. What a mesmerising and eventful performance.

Also it was wonderful to see the transgender dancer perform so eloquently. I was truly touched and moved to witness such profound bhava presented by the dancer. 

When there was this discussion about dance styles - Vazhuvoor, Pandanallur and Kalakshetra - it was quite nice to come together and acknowledge the unified source and the need to be different and varied and open. 

Guru Herambanathan

Nevertheless, the direct dependence of the Art on the refinement and sophistication of the Artiste and the exposure and evolution of spirit cannot be ignored. One style is more lokadharmic than the other. One style is for the elite, elevation-seeking intellectual, and another for the complete simpleton who gets charmed by open hearted display.

Complexity of movement, usage of mudras, and hands to explore the ideas  are sooooo vastly differen in each style. While the informed dancers revel in the beauty of the complexity, the 'normal' audience gets bored. Each clearly falls in a style. 

Also the abhinaya is so crass in some cases. Who will bell the cat? Who will call upon the attention-seeking styles that bother some of us?

Finding Guru Herambanathan was incredible! Thank you.

Conference did not touch upon men who dance in an effiminate way! The gender confusions in their own head bleed into the dance and perplex the audience. No take on that?

We are open. If they want to dress like females and have the suitable frame for it and can carry it off, audiences can't tell the difference and will willingly accept.

But when boys want to study dance and the teacher is female and the end up copyingthe style, it looks quite weird and parents are scared to send boys to class!

yes PURUSH has made the difference 

but it also seems that male dancers like A LAKSHMAN has chosen to do more

effeminate roles as NAYIKA BHAVA and women are choosing more strong roles of women fro mhistory and the epics.

During the past two years of MAD AND DIVINE and EPIC WOMEN.. nobody was interested

in women's sexuality.. but PURUSh brought the issue of gender and sexuality to the fore

I am most thrilled that we were able to tackle important and sensitive subjects in the heart of Mylapore.

Anita Ratnam