The Artiste and Sustainability: Creating an Identity
There is much talk of cloning. Not in the bio-medical circles but in the arts! For the uninitiated, there have been several closed door discussions on how awe for certain performers translates into imitation and grows into mimicking and further into adopting every mannerism of the performer. One could argue against such talk by stating that students of music and dance are bound to be influenced by the way of performance of their teachers and mentors. After all, the influence of a Guru on student is natural. One is bound to pick up subtleties of performance from teachers by virtue of simply being in close proximity and under the constant exposure to their way of performance. But fingers do not point at this organic process that happens over a long period of time. Fingers point at the unexplained need to mimic those who are successful; be it teachers, mentors or others. Fingers point at the lack of wanting to develop a unique identity- a quality that is very important in the Arts!
For a young adult setting out to create a career out of music or dance, when does he/she begin to identify and distinguish between his/her own likes and dislikes, one's comfort zone and above all, when does the artiste begin to lay the foundation to creating an identity, if at all?
Today's artiste is faced with a wide range of performance opportunities- from the Sabha to the corporate event. Each avenue calls for a unique approach. The fusion that works for a college crowd may not be appreciated by the senior citizens who form a sizable portion of the Sabha audience. The endearingly slow padam that will have a connoisseur completely involved may fall flat with the visiting European delegates at the 7-star venue. And the artiste recognises this diversity in audience and accordingly moulds performances to suit. And this is just one aspect of the diversity that artistes embrace. Within the performance itself, explorations and experiments abound. For the same audience, the artiste now presents diverse work: from the traditional to contemporary; from carnatic to jazz; from Bharatanatyam to Free-style. So with so much talk on artistes taking up different kinds of work, is the central identity of the artiste being pulled in different directions in a tug of war or do all these diverse aspects of the artiste come together to form the Identity? The answer lies in the manner in which the artiste has imbibed the grammar of the art. If my roots hold strong, I stand tall withstanding the many branches that my artistic endeavors may take. If I am a Jack of all trades, That becomes my identity!
For the artistes who spend years trying to identify their own unique identity, the artistic journey and satisfaction is definitely worth the long haul. If anyone were to laugh at the laborious nature of such a journey and the lack of immediate returns aka recognition, it is worthwhile to remind ourselves of what Helen Keller said, "There are no shortcuts to anywhere worth going." However the long haul may have a say in how the finances roll out for the said artiste (an issue that we have touched upon before and one that is bound to come up in conjunction with several more topics!).
And since we have short shelf lives (or so is popular thought), consider this very common scenario. Enamored by the success of stars and divas, there are those who strongly believe that they could be the 'next' star or diva by simply imitating their role-models. What is forgotten is that those stars and divas attained their status after much introspection, experimentation and research on themselves and their work: It is their Identity that came to light after much pre-work! If I indeed want to be the 'next' big thing, it would be worthwhile to understand the processes that the stars employ rather than mimicking their end product. It is a process that involves interacting with and learning under the performer as one's teacher/mentor for a long period of time (as against observing mannerisms on youtube). It is a process that cannot be hurried. By understanding the way they think, the way they execute and the way they function; and applying that to my perspectives, my body/voice, my performance- THAT may set me on the path to creating an identity that is in sync with my personality- an identity that is as unique as me. And this requires time and patience. For those on a fast-track journey, this is not their cup of tea.
Expert Speak:
Smt. Charumathi Ramachandran: Every artiste must understand where they want to channelise their art. Art itself is a mirror of the times it lives in and so artistes must be able to evolve with time: their identity cannot be rigid. I often wonder what it is that some new age musicians lack- it is probably 'aesthetics'. May be this results from musicians setting out too early in their careers to experiment; may be a more solid grounding in their lessons will help; may be it lies in their know-it-all attitude; or may be it is because their intention is to garner publicity and not create beautiful art! No matter what the structure of performance, what always will stand out is the standard of music. All other gimmicks will eventually fizzle out. Yes, there are those who are earnestly setting out and presenting a fresh approach. Innovation is definitely welcome. Think. Don't parrot. Be humble. Approach the seniors who have been around for much longer. These are qualities that will go a long way in creating tomorrow's stars.
Sri Vaibhav Arekar: Just as one cannot become a story-writer by simply possessing a degree in English, one cannot become a performer just by learning the technicalities of dance. The language of dance and the grammar thereof are of course the building blocks of performance but the soul of performance arises only when the artiste has internalised everything that has been learnt and beyond. Internalisation is a mental process that must go hand in hand with bodily technique . If I forget to internalise, I am merely imitating. Developing an identity is probably not something that happens in early adulthood- that is a stage when we are able to put forth our individuality but lack the maturity to develop our own style. My identity has developed as a result of years of 'riyaz' ( there is no English equivalent to that word)- a process that will continue forever. My identity has developed not only as an extension of my personality but also as a result of my outlook towards society. It is important to be aware of how society is evolving and how that reflects on the dance scene. Having said that, the crowd around cannot become your yardstick to measure your own growth or your own journey. The manner in which I own the poetry that I am emoting on stage is ultimately reflective of my identity as an artiste!
For a young adult setting out to create a career out of music or dance, when does he/she begin to identify and distinguish between his/her own likes and dislikes, one's comfort zone and above all, when does the artiste begin to lay the foundation to creating an identity, if at all?
Today's artiste is faced with a wide range of performance opportunities- from the Sabha to the corporate event. Each avenue calls for a unique approach. The fusion that works for a college crowd may not be appreciated by the senior citizens who form a sizable portion of the Sabha audience. The endearingly slow padam that will have a connoisseur completely involved may fall flat with the visiting European delegates at the 7-star venue. And the artiste recognises this diversity in audience and accordingly moulds performances to suit. And this is just one aspect of the diversity that artistes embrace. Within the performance itself, explorations and experiments abound. For the same audience, the artiste now presents diverse work: from the traditional to contemporary; from carnatic to jazz; from Bharatanatyam to Free-style. So with so much talk on artistes taking up different kinds of work, is the central identity of the artiste being pulled in different directions in a tug of war or do all these diverse aspects of the artiste come together to form the Identity? The answer lies in the manner in which the artiste has imbibed the grammar of the art. If my roots hold strong, I stand tall withstanding the many branches that my artistic endeavors may take. If I am a Jack of all trades, That becomes my identity!
For the artistes who spend years trying to identify their own unique identity, the artistic journey and satisfaction is definitely worth the long haul. If anyone were to laugh at the laborious nature of such a journey and the lack of immediate returns aka recognition, it is worthwhile to remind ourselves of what Helen Keller said, "There are no shortcuts to anywhere worth going." However the long haul may have a say in how the finances roll out for the said artiste (an issue that we have touched upon before and one that is bound to come up in conjunction with several more topics!).
And since we have short shelf lives (or so is popular thought), consider this very common scenario. Enamored by the success of stars and divas, there are those who strongly believe that they could be the 'next' star or diva by simply imitating their role-models. What is forgotten is that those stars and divas attained their status after much introspection, experimentation and research on themselves and their work: It is their Identity that came to light after much pre-work! If I indeed want to be the 'next' big thing, it would be worthwhile to understand the processes that the stars employ rather than mimicking their end product. It is a process that involves interacting with and learning under the performer as one's teacher/mentor for a long period of time (as against observing mannerisms on youtube). It is a process that cannot be hurried. By understanding the way they think, the way they execute and the way they function; and applying that to my perspectives, my body/voice, my performance- THAT may set me on the path to creating an identity that is in sync with my personality- an identity that is as unique as me. And this requires time and patience. For those on a fast-track journey, this is not their cup of tea.
Expert Speak:
Smt. Charumathi Ramachandran: Every artiste must understand where they want to channelise their art. Art itself is a mirror of the times it lives in and so artistes must be able to evolve with time: their identity cannot be rigid. I often wonder what it is that some new age musicians lack- it is probably 'aesthetics'. May be this results from musicians setting out too early in their careers to experiment; may be a more solid grounding in their lessons will help; may be it lies in their know-it-all attitude; or may be it is because their intention is to garner publicity and not create beautiful art! No matter what the structure of performance, what always will stand out is the standard of music. All other gimmicks will eventually fizzle out. Yes, there are those who are earnestly setting out and presenting a fresh approach. Innovation is definitely welcome. Think. Don't parrot. Be humble. Approach the seniors who have been around for much longer. These are qualities that will go a long way in creating tomorrow's stars.
Sri Vaibhav Arekar: Just as one cannot become a story-writer by simply possessing a degree in English, one cannot become a performer just by learning the technicalities of dance. The language of dance and the grammar thereof are of course the building blocks of performance but the soul of performance arises only when the artiste has internalised everything that has been learnt and beyond. Internalisation is a mental process that must go hand in hand with bodily technique . If I forget to internalise, I am merely imitating. Developing an identity is probably not something that happens in early adulthood- that is a stage when we are able to put forth our individuality but lack the maturity to develop our own style. My identity has developed as a result of years of 'riyaz' ( there is no English equivalent to that word)- a process that will continue forever. My identity has developed not only as an extension of my personality but also as a result of my outlook towards society. It is important to be aware of how society is evolving and how that reflects on the dance scene. Having said that, the crowd around cannot become your yardstick to measure your own growth or your own journey. The manner in which I own the poetry that I am emoting on stage is ultimately reflective of my identity as an artiste!
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