Parents must involve their children in Indian art forms

In this era of modernisation only few people stick to core values and arts of Indian ancestors. They not only stick but also earn name, fame and most importantly respect and by knowing its values they spread it across the world. They are the new genre of India, who can sell their product better than anyone on the world platform.

Prof. Vasanth Kiran is one of the names who are taking the legacy of Indian dance forward. He got his MBA in International Marketing from Marshall University and graduated in Biotechnology from KLE’s PC Jabin Science college Hubli, Karnataka. He also holds PGDHRM and M.Phil in Management. Vasant has completed PG (Natyavisharad) in Bharatanatyam from ABGM, Mumbai, with Gold medal and Diploma in Kuchipudi.
 
Prof Vasanth is amongst the youngest dancers to have held many dignitary positions even as jury at National dance competitions by central govt. Vasanth is now guest faculty for many universities for the Dept of dance and performing arts in and abroad and also as an examiner.
 
Having being trained in Bharathanatyam, Kuchipudi, folk and contemporary dances from world's most eminent gurus like Guru Bhanumathi, Padmabhushan Kalanidhi Narayan, Kalakshetra Sheejith Krishna for Bharathanatyam and the great Guru Padmabhushan Dr Vempatti Chinna Satyam and Guru Manju Barggavee for kuchipudi, he also learnt Yoga from R Venkataramana, his Father. He is recipient of National awards and also central government as well as state government scholarships.
 
Vasanth is presently teaching and guiding students in the field of dance from around 10 countries. He is a graded artiste from Doordarshan and also theatre and actor in small screens. He has also submitted many articles regarding dance and its experimental areas.
 
His efforts to teach this divine art form to blind, mentally retarded, deaf and dumb students is also a success story, he also works with many eminent dancers like Vyjayanti Mala Bali, Hema Malini, Manju Barggavee, Meenakshi Sheshadri, Shobhana, Prabha Ramesh.
 
In 2008, he received International award for dance in Dubai, Middle East and have represented India in several countries. Recently, he was awarded NRITYASHIROMANI award in Odisha, for his outstanding contributions to the field of classical dance, NATYA MAYOORAM.
 
In an exclusive interview with TSI’s Raghavendra Gudi Prof Vasanth Kiran talks on many aspect of his life and Indian art forms.

The youngsters today don’t attract much to the Classical dance format, what inspired you to learn classical dance?
(With a smile on face) I started to learn in a very funny situation. I think when I was 5 or 6 year old I use to tease one of my friends who was learning classical dance. Her dance teacher saw me while teasing her a couple of times and one fine day she called me and said “look Vasanth you tease your friend in nice sense of dance, then why can’t you start learning it and even it will help your friend to travel along with you from home”. After that I joined the dance class and when I see it back today I find this an unbelievable journey.
 

So how your family responded? Did you get necessary support from them?
Mine was a typical Andhra family. For us nothing can replace studies so you need to study hard, be an Engineer or Doctor and finish it off. So at the start I did not inform my parents about my dance class for one or two months. But I didn’t have any other way to pay my dance fee so I made to inform them. And also my teacher and my friend’s parents spoke to them to continue my dance classes, after this my parents agreed but not whole heartedly. After few months I started to participate in various dance competitions and started to get lots of prizes. Only after that my parents believed that I can achieve something in dance.
 
 
What we observe is that, the number of male classical dancers is comparatively less, isn’t it?
Yes. It’s true at present the ratio of male dancers is may be 10:1 or you can say it’s 100:1. But astonishing fact is that if you look at around thousand years ago, there were only male dancers who were performing, female were not allowed to perform dance. Gradually Raj narthaki, devadasi, like system developed and the focus shifted on female dancers. Then male dancers became teachers not performers. But now they have started performing because they are best in some particular forms and roles.
 
 
But how did you manage to get so much recognition and respect from both the Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi audience at so young age?
The journey was not so easy. After completing my MBA with Marshall University USA, I also completed my M.Phill. So with good education back ground I started to do full time job and continued my dance journey without any compromise. So, today probably I will be the only dancer who has achieved equal popularity in Kuchipudi and Bhartnayam both the dance forms. And another most important thing is that, I learnt my art in a Guru Kula system. I stayed at my Guru’s home, being along with him I learnt whatever my Guru taught and said to practice. There I did not learn only dance, I learnt the lessons of life also, which I think is not possible in today’s education system in India. The biggest mistake we have done is we left Guru Kula education System.
 
Why Indian classical dance is not that commercially successful unlike foreign dance forms?
Here I want to thank our state and central governments.  They are giving lots of scholarships and quotas. Under this quota you can even apply for engineering and medical seats. And another thing is that it is only in India where Indian arts forms are not much respected but on world platform we get lots of respect. Recently few scholars found out that Indian dance forms are mother of all dance forms in the World. There is nothing which is not there in Natya shastra. It helps over all development. Also it’s regarded as ‘pancham veda (fifth veda) that’s Natya Veda. So those parents know a bit of this they will send their children to learn dance. And we dancers also request government to introduce dance classes in all schools. So that the dancers can get job to lead there life and also its helps to create awareness in a broader way so that Indian classical dance can become more popular among all classes.

What’s your suggestion to youngsters?
More than youngsters, my humble request to parents is that please make your children involve in any forms of arts especially Indian art forms along with study. It helps in their overall development and allows them to know their roots, which helps them to fly high.