Dancer and tutorial RLV Ramakrishnan desires to carry out Mohiniyattam at each stage in Kerala. “That’s how I plan to protest in opposition to the racist and casteist slurs made in opposition to me,” says Ramakrishnan in an interview with The Hindu.
Reacting to the unseemly remarks made by a veteran Mohiniyattam dancer and instructor, the 46-year-old dancer says he plans to provoke authorized motion in opposition to her and in addition protest in opposition to her remarks in a creative manner by performing all throughout Kerala.
A couple of days in the past, Kalamandalam Sathyabhama Jr., a senior Mohiniyattam dancer, stated that these with dusky complexion, women and men, mustn’t dance on stage. Throughout an interview with a YouTube channel, she went on to say that males, particularly, those that will not be handsome, ought to chorus from dance recitals. With out particularly naming Ramakrishnan, she included a number of innuendos a few “dark-skinned Mohiniyattam dancer from Chalakudy”, that indicated who she was targetting. Ramakrishnan not solely hails from Chalakudy but in addition runs a dance faculty there.
Following his commencement from RLV Faculty of High quality Arts , Tripunithura, he accomplished his post-graduation in Mohiniyattam with a primary rank from the Mahatma Gandhi College. His doctoral thesis was on Aatathinte Aanvazhikal (The Path of Males in Dance).
Edited excerpts from an interview…
How do you propose to protest in opposition to these disparaging remarks?
College students at RLV Faculty of Music and High quality Arts, Tripunithura, carry out Mohiniyattam as a mark of protest in opposition to Kalamandalam Sathyabhama’s controversial racist remarks.
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THULASI KAKKAT
On my behalf, protests are being organised all throughout Kerala. I’m overwhelmed by the help that has come my manner. Many eminent artistes have come out in my help. As well as, folks from completely different walks of life have expressed their outrage at these archaic remarks. I’ve been invited to carry out at completely different venues. That is without doubt one of the greatest methods to protest in opposition to such boorish remarks. I’m going to carry out Mohiniyattam in any respect the phases.
She stated one thing on the strains that Mohiniyattam is about Mohini dancing and never Mohanan…
By no means ever has it been talked about in any archival doc that Mohiniyattam is carried out by ladies alone. She has Kalamandalam as a prefix to her identify. Mahakavi Vallathol, who based Kalamandalam, has stated that the identify Mohiniyattam doesn’t swimsuit this dance type. He had stated particularly that the identify Kairali Nritham would higher swimsuit this fashion of dance. It’s talked about in books on Kerala Kalamandalam. She has unnecessarily raked up a number of points by claiming that solely ‘Mohinis’ can carry out Mohiniyattam. One should do not forget that at one time, it was a dance that was seemed down upon and this manner was nearly extinguished due to the negativity related to it. It was to rescue it from these damaging epithets that Vallathol urged that the identify of the dance type be modified. When she goes on saying that solely a Mohini can carry out this dance, think about how a lot she is slighting that renaissance chief who established a fantastic establishment like Kerala Kalamandalam.
RLV Ramakrishnan strikes a pose throughout a Mohiniyattam recital.
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SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Furthermore, anybody with a fundamental information concerning the Puranas is aware of that Mohini was born when Lord Mahavishnu assumed a feminine type. How can any human being declare to be equal to that? If a girl attire as a dancer, can she be thought of as Mohini? By no means. So, a dancer who performs Mohiniyattam attire within the costume meant for it and performs the dance. That doesn’t imply, he/she turns into Mohini.
It was to erase the stigma related to the dance that made Vallathol provide you with the thought of Kairali Nritham. I’m going to request the division of Tradition and people within the artwork discipline to rename the dance type as Kairali Nritham.
While you joined as a scholar in RLV Faculty, did you come throughout individuals who make such adversarial remarks?
RLV Ramakrishnan
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Sabu Stephen
By no means at RLV Faculty. However at Kalamandalam, I needed to face many such disheartening conditions, particularly from her (Kalamandalam Sathyabhama (jr). After I utilized for a stage for a competition performed underneath the aegis of the Division of Tourism, she received my quantity from my software and known as me. She spoke to me in a particularly provocative and derogatory method. In the identical manner, once I was doing my doctoral analysis at Kalamandalam, she used to taunt me.
It’s a incontrovertible fact that on this planet of dance, there are particular prejudiced folks like her, individuals who nonetheless dangle on to out of date concepts that don’t have any place in a contemporary world. They’re unable to just accept trendy training or progressive adjustments in society and artwork. They have a tendency to suppose alongside sure dogmatic strains.
Have you ever needed to face such regressive or discriminatory behaviour elsewhere in your profession as a instructor and dancer?
Sure, at Kalamandalam. As soon as once I was attending a seminar an official there instructed me to go away the corridor. I used to be instructed that the seminar was for ladies and never males. I protested and made my stand clear. Even after I did extraordinarily properly throughout my analysis, I used to be harassed by sure office-bearers in Kalamandalam. Mani chettan (the late actor Kalabhavan Mani is his elder brother) intervened. We took it up and questioned their resolution, culturally and politically. Solely then did we handle to get the precise outcomes of the appraisal at Kalamandalam.
Sure cultural leaders nonetheless preserve solely ladies ought to carry out Mohiniyattam. There are additionally variations concerning the fashion by which Mohiniyattam is carried out. Some contend that solely the fashion adopted at Kalamandalam is the precise one and that the one taught by Kalyanikutty Amma will not be Mohiniyattam. Since I’m from RLV, some folks within the discipline will not be in a position to settle for me as a Mohiniyattam dancer.
The truth that an individual who was educated in an establishment apart from Kalamandalam managed to get a doctorate and goes locations as a dancer is one thing {that a} sure part of artistes finds it troublesome to just accept.
There have been additionally slurs concerning complexion and sure controversial statements about male Mohiniyattam dancers…
By no means ought to an artiste and instructor air such discriminatory opinions. In right this moment’s world, there are dancers of every kind, together with the differently-abled. It’s a particular person’s creativity that’s being expressed via dance. It’s a elementary proper that she is violating when she says that these with darkish pores and skin mustn’t carry out Mohiniyattam. There isn’t any manner we will agree with it or condone such concepts. Proper from the time a baby steps right into a dance faculty or begin studying dance, her/his dream is to carry out on stage; it’s a dream they nurse via lengthy hours of laborious work. There are various, age no bar, who want to dance. It’s the achievement of a deep need to bounce. In that case, how can anybody say you could dance solely in case you are lovely and charming?
I refuse to consider that she made these remarks with regard to (dance) competitions. Her assertion has solid a shadow on the complete discipline of dance. After listening to her, quite a lot of college students requested me ‘Sir, if that is your state of affairs after so a few years, what’s going to be our future?’ Along with her discuss, she has demoralised a number of aspiring dancers of Kerala. Our society is up in arms in opposition to her discriminatory and racist remarks.
RLV Ramakrishnan
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SUNIL AMMADAM
However, aren’t you enthused by the outpouring of help that’s coming your manner from all quarters?
That’s the way it ought to be. It’s not Ramakrishnan, a person, who has been focused. Many like Ramakrishnan, dark-skinned and from economically and socially deprived backgrounds, have been scarred by her statements. I’ve labored and struggled, morning and night time, to change into a dancer. Her angle and statements may snuff the desires cherished by so many kids who come from an analogous background as me. So, it is just proper that Kerala stood with me on this matter.
Think about you have got a daughter with an innate expertise for dance. If she will not be honest, will you inform her, don’t dance, don’t carry out, keep at residence as a result of you aren’t honest?
Ramakrishnan, the dancer and artiste, can by no means ever settle for such a state. I don’t suppose anybody in Kerala will help such a primitive stance.
You run a dance faculty in Chalakudy…
Kunissery Raman Smaraka Kalanilayam, which was began by Mani chettan within the reminiscence of our father. About 150 college students study dance there.
