All set to represent India at a festival in Egypt, dancer Dona Ganguly says the classical arts should get as much promotion as Bollywood and cricket
Long before she married former Indian cricketer Sourav Ganguly, Odissi dancer Dona Ganguly had been making news for her prowess in the art form. Having trained since age three under the likes of Amala Shankar and Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, the dancer has come a long way. With several successful performances under her belt and a thriving dance school called Diksha Manjari, Dona is a force to reckon with when it comes to Odissi.
Now, the dancer, along with her troupe, is all set to take her art form from the banks of the Hooghly River to the Nile. She is to perform at the India by the Nile festival in Egypt. Dona talks about how arts play a role in diplomatic relations.
Excerpts from an interview.
Tell us about your journey as a dancer.
Just like kids in South India are expected to learn some classical art form, in West Bengal too we are supposed to join art, dance or music classes. My parents had first enrolled me for dance classes with renowned dancer Amala Shankar. From there on, I gradually gravitated towards Odissi. Not before long, Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra took me under his wing. I would either train under him at his house in Cuttack, or he would come to Kolkata and stay with us to teach me.
I never consciously decided to become a professional dancer, but after a steady stream of performances with Guruji and then as a soloist, I was a professional; without even realising it.
What are your views on events like India by the Nile?
Indian classical dance forms have a certain aesthetic value. They cannot and should not be presented anywhere and everywhere. More than politicians, who just want a cultural skit either before or after a major event, artists know the true elegance with which their art can be presented. An occasion like this festival gives one a chance to represent the nation at an international level with realistic and tasteful art.
What are you presenting at this festival?
I am planning to present traditional choreographies of Kelu baba such as ‘Saveri pallavi’ and ‘Shankarabharnam’, and abhinaya items like ‘Ardhanareshwar’ and ‘Naba Durga’. It will be traditional, because I wish to promote Odissi in its purest form.
What is Sourav’s take on your career?
Well, he’s often a silent spectator. Sourav never holds me back, but he also does not go out of his way to promote me. This is a blessing, since it lets me express my artistic sensibilities. It is a boon that I have a loving husband and a co-operative mother-in-law, who looks after my daughter when I’m practising or touring.
What is your opinion on the current situation of Indian classical arts?
I strongly believe that Indian classical arts should get as much promotion as Bollywood and cricket. Their popularity, to a large extent, is due to the glamour associated with their professions and the kind of promotion that is done. I often wonder what would happen if we were given just as much publicity. How easily we would have become celebrities and spread our art!
Sourav never holds me back, but he also does not go out of his way to promote me
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> MetroPlus / by Madhur Gupta / April 30th, 2016