INTERVIEW WITH A JANARDHANAN, PRINCIPAL OF KALAKSHETRA

The new principal of Kalakshetra, A Janardhanan has spent almost his entire life in the environs of this world famous dance Institute. Born to veteran Kathakali exponent, Asan T K Chandu Panicker, Janardhanan trained for Kathakali under his father and under the late Padmashree Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair. He trained for Bharatanatyam under Rukmini Devi Arundale. He has also played important roles in the dance dramas produced by Rukmini Devi. He is extensively traveled and has served as the external examiner for many universities and art centers in India as well as abroad. Currently he is teaching Kathakali and Bharatanatyam at Kalakshetra, besides carrying out his duties as the principal.

I am from Kerala. My father was a veteran Kathakali exponent. In those days, surviving on dance alone was very difficult. I have seen my father struggling to take care of the family. So my father discouraged me from becoming an artist. But the headmaster of my school in noticed my talent and persuaded my father to groom me as his successor. Rukmini 'Amma' also encouraged my father to teach me. Thus began my career as a dancer.

I joined Kalakshetra in 1958. My father was already teaching there. He had worked with a number of stalwarts at the institute. I had the opportunity to participate in almost all the dance dramas directed and produced by 'Amma' (Rukmini Devi). I went back to Kerala in 1958 to continue my advanced training in Kathakali under the guidance of my Kathakali teacher Krishnan Nair. In 1966, I came back to Kalakshetra on the insistence of 'Amma' and joined as a full time teacher. I later became her assistant and got the chance to travel and work with her.

Oh! There are so many of them. She was a genius. An intellectual; she was very simple in her outlook and lifestyle. Her modesty, humility, and simplicity were very inspirational. There was richness in her simplicity. Her behaviour, the way she lived talked and led her life set an example for all her disciples to follow.  She commanded a lot of respect for her knowledge in the field of dance. She was able to effectively combine the values of the West with the East. Her initial training in ballet dancing with the famous ballerina Anna Pavlova influenced her a lot. The physical discipline at Kalakshetra is the result of this exposure she had abroad. I will tell you one particular incident, 'Amma'was invited to Moscow in 1981 to judge an international Ballet competition organised by the world famous Bolshoi Theatre. She was chosen as the Indian representative. I also accompanied her. The competition went on for a fortnight. All the top dancers of the world had assembled there. On the final day of the competition the judges were asked to assess the performances. Amma's evaluation turned out to be the most accurate. Everybody was surprised at her technical knowledge, in spite of not being a professional ballet dancer herself. She was very good at assessing things.

There is a lot of competition. Students are tempted to perform before they have mastered the art. That I feel is wrong. Art should come first. There should be commitment and dedication. Even if he is pushed amidst the crowd, he should take the risk and learn to swim against the tide. 'Amma' set a good example, Kalakshetra was born because of 'Amma's pioneering work in the field of art. Of course, there were critics but that did not deter her.

I want to revive Rukmini Devi's old dance productions. We want to stick to each and every detail of the production; exactly the way 'Amma' would have liked it to be. My father and 'Amma' skillfully blended the two styles of Bharatanatyam and Kalakshetra in their dance productions. I want to retain this unique style. I do not want to do something new for the sake of innovation. I will strive to preserve the name and fame of Kalakshetra. The uniqueness of this institution lies in the fact that students are exposed to an environment that helps them not only to become a good dancer, but also to develop their personality.

I feel hurt when people say that the standards are coming down, having grown with this glorious institution. I have observed it from close quarters, and I can tell you that Kalakshetra is still one of the best in the country. Certain administrative changes were inevitable after the Government took over, but nobody has touched the art. Only competent persons with a lot of experience in teaching are taken in as faculty.

Students are taken into Kalakshetra after the completion of tenth standard. A panel of experts chooses the candidates based on their aptitude for dance and music. The course at Kalakshetra is a four-year diploma course. If the student aspires to pursue further, he can do so with an additional two-year postgraduate diploma course. A student on completion of the course will be asked to perform in front of his colleagues and teachers on stage. This is like an exam. He or she is eligible to teach only after the postgraduate course. Along with dance, He or she will be taught Sanskrit, Music, Tala (rhythm) and the theoretical aspects of dance.

Yes, highly competent students are taken in as teachers.

We do take our productions outside Kalakshetra. A few years back we performed at Krishna Gana Sabha. We do have plans of popularising our productions.

Chennai is the cultural capital of the country. It is the hometown of art. For me, Chennai is motherland. The rasikas, corporate sponsors and the media should be forthcoming to preserve the cultural vibrancy of Chennai.

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