Indian

dance
education in
changing
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times
Indian dance education in changing times

Dr Rohini Dandavate

Globalization, mass immigration, advancing technology, faster communication,

and easy travel connections has influenced the political, social and cultural life of people
all over the world. The field of entertainment and the arts are no exception. Fast
communication facilitates artists in exchanging information about their work and learning
about other art forms. Easier travel allows dancers and other artists to create,
experiment and present in far away places to audiences who are not familiar with their
art form. Innovative multi-media technologies inspires and aids dancers in extending
their creativity through new media. On the one hand, rapidly advancing technology has
created opportunities for more experimentation, exchange of information and interaction
amongst creative people. On the other hand, mass immigration is leading to an increase
of multicultural communities, which needs tools for facilitating intercultural understanding
to maintain cohesion and peace. Amidst these increasing opportunities and changes, I
feel that dancers and artists have a role in helping people understand social diversity by
making art which can be understandable to multi-cultural audiences. It is becoming
necessary for them to create and present work that can be meaningful universally.
Though this is relevant to all forms of art making, I will in this paper only discuss issues
pertaining to dance and how dance education has evolved to fit in this need.

A survey was emailed to 50 Indian dance teachers from India and the U.S. with
the objective of understanding how dance educators are evolving their curriculum to
include the needs of the changing times. The questions focused on:
• Approaches of teaching and learning dance,
• Resources used as teaching aids and
• Methods incorporated to address the current needs.

Profile of Research Participants:

Responses were received from 11 teachers of Odissi and Bharatnatyam dance
styles, both from the US and India. Two of the 11 participants have full time jobs in
addition to teaching dance. One dancer teacher is a scientist and other an engineer.

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Two of the research participants are dance professors at universities in the U.S., while
the other participants train students in their own dance institutions or studios. 9
participants have been teaching since 1980, while one has been teaching since 1976
and another since 1965. Three of the dance teachers hold a doctoral degree. The
participants of this research were trained by:

• Guru Pankaj Charan Das

• Guru Kelucharan Mohapatro
• Guru Raghunath Dutta
• Guru Deba Prasad Das
• Shrimati Sanjukta Panigrahi
• Ms. Sudharani Raghupathy
• Guru Parvati Kumar and in
• Kalakshetra

Findings: Participants of this study reported that:

• History, traditions, current events, traditional and classical art forms from
countries other than their own are sources of inspiration for new work.
• Dance training is focused on emulating and perfecting the Guru’s style,
repertoire and technique
• Dance educators often use the teaching techniques of their own Gurus.
• They are required to teach under constraint of time. Increasing pressures of
school, extracurricular activities and job commitments, leave students limited
time to devote to learning dance.
• Time constraint has led to departure from the traditional method of
incremental learning and division of lessons between theory and technique.
The focus of students is now on acquiring skills to perform, as opposed to
learning to internalize the art over a period of time as a life skill.

Responding to the current scenario and upcoming needs, the participants of this study
observed that there is:

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 • A trend for integrating multimedia technology in dance presentations.
Technological advancement has added new dimensions in stage design,
lighting design, audio and video. The ambiance that was traditionally
achieved with the presence of the musicians in a performance is now
compensated through use of multi-media.
• A growing need to train students in arts management.
• A rising awareness of understanding dance injuries and treatments.
• A demand for more group presentations
• An expanding audience for Odissi worldwide.
• Integration of non traditional themes in Odissi repertoire
• A demand for faster pace in dance numbers
• Borrowing of ideas from other dance forms, costumes, and music
compositions.
• An increase in number of dancers who want to make dance their primary
profession instead of pursuing it as a hobby or an activity for leisure

Reflections:

Review of the participant response and literature on dance education leads me to

infer that Intermingling of people from diverse cultures is creating new avenues for
experiencing and understanding unfamiliar cultural traditions and practices. It is also
adding new dimensions in dance education. The responses received indicate that using
new technologies, borrowing from other cultures and art forms, translating and
employing different languages, themes, concepts and practices while keeping in place
the integral elements of the dance form is becoming essential.
Traditionally, Indian dance education followed the Guru shisya parampara where
the pace of study was usually based on the student’s capacity. The gurukul (guru’s
home) was considered an ideal setting because the student had the opportunity to learn
one on one at his or her on pace and also observe the guru’s process of creating. The
home setting also helped develop a relationship, which perpetuated a sense of devotion
for the teacher and to the art form. With the establishment of formal schools of dance
students are trained in classroom settings for a specific time period following a
structured curriculum. It is observed that the participants of this study prefer to follow the
teaching technique and content of their own gurus. However since the present day

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students are pursuing professional and other academic interests alongside their dance
training, they have limited time for training. This constraint results in students choosing
to acquire the performing skills and mastering the Guru’s repertoire. It is observed that
the approach of learning dance has therefore moved towards fulfilling performance
needs.
I would like to propose here that borrowing the essence of the teaching approach
from the guru shisya parampara will be worthwhile to find a balance in the distribution of
time in teaching technique, theory, and in harnessing the power of implicit learning while
providing a concrete, flexible resource for reflective analysis. An ideal dance education
curriculum should facilitate the opening up of a student’s potential to express, and let
creativity come through in movement, while preserving the core content and form.
Mastering the dance technique is an important aspect of learning in any dance form, but
it forms one part of the complete experience of dance education. Focus on technique
and long hours of practice help refine movements and improve presentation, but
understanding the social, cultural and historical context of the dance enables one to
create a strong foundation for analysis, experimentation, innovation and improvisation.
In order to reinforce this proposal I would like to quote Ana Paula Batalha, faculty
of dance at Da Faculdade De Motricidade Humana in Portugal who in her paper on
Teaching the Paradigms of dance’ states

The objective of the study (of dance) has to be regarded in an

interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary view, in which technical, scientific,
philosophic and artistic knowledge have to meet to answer the
requirements of the dancing act, the choreographic creation act, the
act of communicating intentionally, the act of artistically impressing and
the act of observing, contemplating and, fundamentally, criticizing.
(1975).

The fundamentals of training should focus upon helping students to gain deeper
understanding. Students of dance should be encouraged to work in relationship with
their own environment through collaboration with other experts from the field who are
further advanced in their own developmental process. The learning process can
recapture the essence of the ancient gurukul tradition both in content and in form by:

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 • using a well defined syllabus which includes study of both technique and
theory
• shifting focus from event-focused (performance based) learning to nurturing a
deeper understanding of the form and content
• pooling in resources through collaborations and partnerships with other
institutions, and experts in the field
• engaging students in dance research and writing, criticism and analysis
• helping develop technological skills and

• encouraging innovation, experimentation and improvisation

Keeping view the dimensions that need to be addressed the following template presents
a framework for dance education which includes strategies for building, expanding and
diversifying the curriculum.

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 FRAMEWORK FOR DANCE EDUCATION IN 21ST CENTURY
Build
Teaching • Base teaching on
knowledge of students’
interests, abilities, skills,
knowledge, family
circumstances and peer
relationships.
• Promote self esteem,
motivate learning and
foster respect for cultural
and religious differences
• Monitor student learning
by articulating goals,
• Encourage
experimentation and
innovation, self expression
and creation
Product/Dance • The presentation should
Presentation reflect the aspirations of
the audience
• Pre-publicity material and
communication material
be designed to make the
presentation meaningful to
the viewer
Organization • Adapt product marketing • Collaborate with other
techniques and dancers and other art
restructure if necessary forms
• Build Partnerships
Audience • Proactive
Development Actively involve
audience/potential audience
in selecting, structuring and
presenting the content
• Reactive
Engage the audience in
giving feedback/ evaluate the
presentation on a regular
basis
• Interactive
Create a mechanism to
maintain an ongoing dialogue
with current/potential
audience about the events
Expand Diversify
• Teach dance in all its • Use multi instructional
aspects –aesthetics, methods
anthropology, history, • Adapt teaching to new
business, management, findings, ideas, and
pedagogy, choreography, theories.
experience, kinesiology,
physics • Pursue change
• Engage colleagues and • Collaborate with other
experts to focus in dance teachers on
teaching different aspects instructional policy,
curriculum development
• Draw upon educational • Provide dance education
research and scholarship resources
• Include understanding
and learning the use
of the new technologies
• Explore new themes – • Blend/juxtapose diverse
universal themes, which art forms and into novel
people from diverse experiences
cultures can relate to
• Equip the organization to
interact with
artists/organizations from
diverse
• Increase access to a wide cultures/nationalities
range of art forms and
creative expressions
• Reach out to potential • Changing demographics
audience that has diverse necessitate reaching out
points of interest and to culturally diverse
different perspectives population
• Cultivate a feeling in
diverse audiences that
Dance event can be
a place for
intercultural
socialization
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 Dance education curriculum includes aspects of dance history, technique,
criticism and aesthetics. This template includes guidelines on the process of teaching,
developing and presenting dance, organizational planning and building audiences. I
have attempted to keep the essence of the ancient gurukul tradition while adding
strategies for building, expanding and diversifying the dance education curriculum. I
have suggested that the process of teaching follow a gradual pace covering all the
aspects of the dance form keeping in view the emotional and physical abilities of
student. Providing information and explanations about the dance form, promoting self-
esteem, developing an understanding and respect for cultural differences builds
confidence and courage in the student. Appropriate guidance, feedback, planned
lessons with clear instructions and the readiness to improvise in the subject area helps
boost motivation for learning. Overall being sensitive to the individual student and the
changing demographics of the neighborhood can become the keys to initiate and
enhance self-expression and creative exploration in students.

The need to understand organizational planning and management was not on

the forefront until recently because funding was available from the government and large
business houses. While opportunities to perform were comparatively fewer so were the
number of dancers and dance companies. In comparison, the upsurge in the number of
dance festivals and dance companies has led to competition. To be able to survive and
sustain in this scramble for work, students who wish to pursue dance as a profession
need to learn about organizational planning, marketing strategies, grant writing, funding
and audience development to maximize their opportunities in the field. As suggested in
the template dance educators would find it helpful to prepare students by partnering with
management institutions or experts in opening up opportunities for their students for
training in the subject.

Product development and audience development are areas which need equal
attention Unlike the earlier times when the traditional repertoire kept people engaged,
the present day audiences are multi cultural and it is crucial to understand what
motivates them to attend a dance performance. As written in Opera America Newsline
(1997) “Great product marketing isn't selling the product: it is responding to the way
people want to feel when they drive that car or run that mile. It's not selling the "it," it's
selling the feeling that people want to feel “. Some participants have mentioned that they

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have already started borrowing themes, costumes and music from other art forms.
Integrating universal themes and ideas will enable audiences to relate to their own
experiences and they will be in a better position to connect, appreciate, understand and
enjoy another art form. Developing audiences for the arts has become increasingly
challenging in the present times. Attending dance presentations or participating in the
arts is one of the many options available for people today. The rising number of malls,
increasing cable choices and computer gaming and entertainment, combined with
relatively high admission costs to arts events and the low emphasis on art education in
schools, is resulting in inadequate awareness and fragmentation of audiences. In
comparison to the rising population, the frequency of participation in the arts has been
comparatively low.

The template suggests strategies how understanding the aspirations of people

and creating work around themes that audiences can relate to will help in building
audiences. Besides this proactive strategy, evaluation or feed back forms designed to
record audience reaction can help in providing indicators for ideas for product
development, themes for dance creation, changes, and improvements. In addition,
workshops or discussions before performances can create platforms for interaction with
members of the audience and comprehending their preferences. These techniques will
enable students to reach out to wider range of audiences and develop productions on
themes, which would be meaningful and relevant to the context and environment of the
people.
Besides these aspects of curriculum and audience development, rising
awareness and concern for health is making it necessary for students of dance to learn
about prevention of injuries to the body caused due to dance training. Collaborating with
experts on injury prevention, attending lectures, seminars and workshops with reference
to dance will enable students of dance to prevent long-term injuries.

With changing times being flexible in adapting new techniques in dance education will
contribute in preserving and passing the tradition of dance to our future generations
while helping students of dance to grow in their field. Tom Peters, a management guru in
his book, ‘Thriving on Chaos’ writes ‘the present times demand…flexibility and love of
change”. Responses of participants of this research indicate that some have already
evolved their curriculums to include the upcoming needs and some are experimenting

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with different approaches and I hope this discussion will open up new avenues for
further change and innovation.

References:
Shapiro, Sherry B. (Ed.) 1998. Dance, Power and Difference, Champaign, IL:
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
Hanna, Judith L. 1999. Partnering Dance and Education, Champaign, IL: Human
Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
Peters, Tom. 1987. Thriving on Chaos: Handbook for a Management Revolution,
New York, Harper Collins Publishers.
Batalha, Ana Paula. 2000. Paper on ‘Teaching Paradigms for Dance as an Art
form’ presented in Conference on Dancing in the Millennium, Washington D.C.
Stevens, Louise K. "Just who are those first-time ticket buyers?" Opera Americas
26th Annual Conference (Los Angeles 1996).
1992 Public Participation in the Arts: National Endowment for the Arts. Research
Division and the U.S. Department of the Census.
Building Audiences: Stories from America's Theaters. Lila Wallace- Reader's
Digest Fund (New York December 1997)

Parts of this essay have been published in Angarag- A Journal of performing and
Visual Arts Spring 2007

Rohini Dandavate holds a doctoral degree in Cultural Policy and Administration. She is
trained under Guru Kelucharan Mohapatro, Guru Raghunath Dutta and Guru Ramani
Ranjan Jena in Odissi dance in Kala Vikash Kendra, College of Indian Dance and Music,
Cuttack, India. As an artist in the Arts in Education Program of the Ohio Arts Council,
she conducts workshops and lecture demonstrations on Odissi dance for students in
schools and colleges. She has offered courses in Odissi dance as a Visiting Faculty in
Denison University, Kenyon College, Antioch College, Ohio University.

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