Shovana Narayan on the Khajuraho Pageant
| Picture Credit score: The Hindu Archives
Shovana Narayan was just lately felicitated in Delhi by her disciples from across the globe. From the youngest to probably the most senior dancers, the present featured widespread compositions by Shovana, who celebrates her seventy fifth birthday right this moment (September 2, 2024).
With a profession spanning over six a long time, Shovana appeared again nostalgically on her journey on the planet of Kathak, proper from the time she gave her first stage efficiency on the tender age of 4. “I used to be cussed as a baby. And like all youngsters, I used to be extraordinarily energetic and stressed,” she smiled. At the moment, her father was posted in Kolkata, the place as a 3 12 months outdated, she was enrolled beneath Sadhana Bose, a well-known actor and dancer of the time. “I’ve these imprecise recollections of Sadhana ji holding my legs and arms to make me dance,” she recalled. Thereafter, Shovana’s father was transferred to Mumbai, the place she started studying Kathak from Guru Kundal Lal. When the household moved to Delhi, she began coaching beneath Pt. Birju Maharaj, who was fairly younger himself, and in an evolutionary section as a dancer. “However I might give credit score to 2 extra gurus who imparted varied technical expertise — Odissi dancer Naina Devi and my mom,” she added.
Although dance has all the time been an integral a part of Shovana’s life since childhood, she was additionally acdemically inclined. After doing her Grasp’s in physics, she labored as a profession officer for the Indian Audits & Accounts Service till 2010. “I by no means felt it was balancing. I beloved my research, and on the identical time, dance was like breath for me,” she mentioned.
Shovana Narayan along with her college students acting at Kamani Auditorium in Delhi.
| Picture Credit score:
Particular Association
Being an ardent music lover, Shovana started drawing parallels between Indian and western music, each of which share comparable rhythms. This led to a variety of collaborative works with main ballet, flamenco and faucet dancers, and with Buddhist monks for incorporating chants. She has additionally used the works of western classical composers. “For me, the technique of greatest expressing no matter I felt, is dance.”
Shovana Narayan performing ‘Knowledge and compassion -The way in which of Budha’ at Ravindra Bharathi in Hyderabad in 2016.
| Picture Credit score:
KVS GIRI
Speaking about how she introduced her personal concepts and experiences to her artwork, Shovana attributed it largely to her upbringing. As an illustration, the theme of considered one of her dance productions was environmental degradation. This was in 1982, when it was not a sizzling subject. “There was all the time a variety of dialogue on the dinner desk about such points. My mom inspired us to assume, query and specific ourselves.”
That was additionally how Shovana labored on the widespread options between Flamenco and Kathak, each of that are comparable when it comes to being rhythmic and footwork-oriented. In 1987, she staged a collaboration with ballet, and one with flamenco two years later. In 1994, she mixed all three varieties — Kathak, ballet and flamenco — in a single work, which was an enormous success.
Fascinating milestones
There have been different attention-grabbing milestones in her journey. Till 2003, Shovana didn’t know in regards to the existence of Kathak villages. A journalist in Bodh Gaya drew her consideration to them. It led her on a search to search out many Kathak villages, which have village code numbers in India’s census. “We went on a analysis spree, and dug out outdated archival materials. We discovered that there’s nonetheless a dwelling temple custom, which relies extra on historic texts and melody,” she mentioned.
Having seen the evolution of the dance type for the reason that Nineteen Fifties, Shovana famous the modifications that she sees in it right this moment. She commented that till the Nineteen Eighties, folks had time to observe solo performances that have been all the time greater than two hours lengthy. “In a way, it might be a check of how deep and powerful our basis was as dancers. However there weren’t too many theatres and auditoriums. Now dancers even have the benefit of fine lighting, which superbly highlights actions and feelings.”
What about her plans for the approaching years, “I’m a seeker. That can proceed until my final breath,” mentioned Shovana.
