Aditi Tandon
Tribune News ServiceChandigarh, October 12
The innumerable curls of hair fall over his calm face as rhythmically as his feet fall on the performance space. His fingers move in harmony with the air, each gesture blending with the mood of nature to look verdant as the first petal on the flower. And just as the softness of guru Rajendra Gangani begins to take you over, his toes burst with kinetic energy, his eyes sparkle with divine streaks...
What follows is a reflection of the finest form of Jaipur kathak gharana, known for its mastery over complicated dance patterns and gradual progression from lasaya (the subtle, soothing part of the presentation) to taandava (the vigorous and explosive form of dance). To those who have watched the maestro in concert, addiction to kathak comes naturally. Another thing which comes naturally is seeking his company and sharing his thoughts about kathak and its changing structure, which no longer reflects the Hindu-Muslim texture, so basic to the original form.
“The distinction cannot be denied or even prevented. As kathak split into two gharanas, Jaipur and Lucknow, the influences also split. Jaipur concentrated on the spiritual aspects and technique like bandish, whereas Lucknow focused on kathak as a dance of the court. Wajid Ali Khan was instrumental in giving this form to Lucknow kathak, which had greater Persian influence than we had,” said the youngest kathak guru in the country, who inherited the art from father Kundan Lal Gangani.
Proud to be part of the Gangani family, which has secured basic elements of kathak while also experimenting with styles of both gharanas, Rajendra Gangani is surely rooted to idealism. He approves of fusion, subject only to the purpose it serves. No wonder his recent fusion of kathak with mohiniattam won great acclaim. Talking to The Tribune about the possibility of fusion, he said: “Every form of dance is sacred. Fusion is meaningful only if it brings dormant similarities to the surface without disturbing the basic structure of dance forms. If my form loses identity in another’s presence, I fail as a dancer.”
The guru is against the fusion of Indian classical dance traditions with the Western. “I have experimented only with the Spanish Flamenco style because it has kathak influences. We cannot fuse forms for the sake of novelty. This amounts to sacrilege. The Western and Indian traditions differ conceptually. Where kathak derives inspiration from the spiritual, Western tradition is inspired by entertainment ability.” Guru’s vehement tone reflected his dedication to the art. Recently, he choreographed a sequence titled Prakriti, voicing environmental concern. An accomplished tabla player and singer, he is also a guru, teaching at the National Institute of Dance, New Delhi.
Today he was accompanied by eight disciples, Monisha, Swati, Anshul, Anupma, Mondira, Riti, Aarti and Mahender. As the sun drowned, the guru began performing under the UT Administration’s Jhankar series. He first offered obeisance to Nataraja in an aaradhna, reflective of kathak’s softness. Then he dedicated a bhajan to guru Kundan Lal Gangani. ‘Guru bin aisa kaun kare...’ was laced with gratitude. Then came the exhibition of teyyari and layakari. Delight from the very outset, he stood out for amazing chakkardar parans, well-designed todas, and strikingly-impressive aamads.
His disciples later infused vigour into Srijan, the next presentation. The sequence glorified nature and the panchtatva (air, water, fire, sky and earth). Keeping up with the rhythmic footwork, danced under the weight of over 100 ankle bells, spectacular spins and dramatic representation of themes, were three accompanists: Kishore Gangani on the tabla, Vijay Parihar for vocal, and Vijay Sharma on the sitar.
