Dance Education- the young teacher

Dance Education is a series of articles that will focus on various aspects of the teaching-learning environment, methodology, practice and more. Bringing together varied perspectives from across regions,  ideologies and styles, we hope to encourage an active dialogue about what one might consider to be one of the most significant links between the performing arts and the world at large - the teacher and the taught.

In recent times, 'change being the only constant' has taken on an added dimension- that of change continually happening at a rapid pace. Every passing decade becomes all the more dynamic. Today, we acknowledge that social media is here to stay. With instant gratification and wide reach, social media is changing the face of who is 'seen' and is redefining virtual presence. We are aware that the digital medium of instruction is not rare anymore- from mainstream education to art, music and dance. Simultaneously, socio-political structures in many parts of the world are seeing drastic changes. Varied ideologies are finding new foothold across society and in such a vibrant and dynamic world, one wonders how the medium of teaching classical dance might have been influenced. So this New Year, I begin with the voices of young teachers who are thinking about the relevance of the art form they teach - nay, not just thinking but devising methodologies that are in sync with their ideologies.

For an art form that is taught and learnt through childhood, the manner in which it becomes embodied in the adult body and mind is unique to every individual. Drawing from the environment in which they learnt the art, the person who taught them and their continuous engagement with society, the art form that they practice takes on a particular form. For a society that is made up of so many different kinds of likes and dislikes, practitioners of the art form also are impacted by these. How society impacts the art is most evident in the evolving performance space. From space to pace, rigour to vigour, content to context - there is always an ongoing discussion about the evolving performance of classical dance. But since our focus here is the teaching- learning environment, I return to a discussion about the individual rather than discuss society as a collective. I speak to two individual teachers who are finding relevance in their own distinct ways. Does relevance refer to redefining technique- not necessarily. Relevance in how the technique is used is the premise that they work on. Theirs is an attempt to break the walls that separate the art and the real world.  

Aranyani Bhargav says that her understanding of the art form of Bharatanatyam comes from an immersive study of 16 years with her teacher. With no intention to critique older methods of teaching or performance, Aranyani began an earnest exploration of modern reconstruction of the performance a few years ago. From questioning frontality of performance, for example, to ideas of conversing with an audience and interaction between dancers, Aranyani sought to explore elements of movement that were rarely seen in Bharatanatyam. In the work of her company, Aranyani and the Vyuti dancers experimented with contemporary ideas allowing the conceptual to lead movement. And the process of arriving at such an experimental phase is something she intends to share with students of dance. Of course, such an engagement with students requires that they have learnt Bharatanatyam for a significant period of time and understand the technique to a large extent. The teaching environment here and the learning focusses on the process of using learnt technique to cultivate a language of your own. But what of technique itself - that must be taught from scratch to the beginner? How does the teacher, teaching environment and method influence the newbie? In turn, how is the teacher impacted by every subsequent generation of children who walk into class with their own generation-specific quirks and gifts? 

Matangi Prasan had several questions of her own when she started teaching. But over the years of engaging with young minds, one thing has become clear to her- to never undermine the intelligence of a child - and in creating an environment of respect, she hopes to go beyond just teaching technique to encouraging a dialogue between student and teacher. And from the various questions that her students were encouraged to ask and converse about, Matangi found that content of performance could become more relatable for a child if it came from a world of their own. This sparked off an elaborate exploration for 6 months culminating in a full-length production - that brought age-relevant concepts from school text books, tales from panchatantra and history lessons into the Bharatanatyam fold. The production was a success and the process was truly rewarding to student and teacher. But even though they had found a world where school and dance class merged effortlessly, this was also a half year when technique precision might have taken a back seat. In the larger eco system of Bharatanatyam that continues to lay emphasis on the execution of dance with precision- especially for young learners- it triggers off another question: are students of dance expected to acquire precision of technique before they begin to explore creatively? Are teachers then forced to take a step back to ensure this precision over nurturing a sudden creative spurt? Or should one garner support for a teaching method that might go against the grain? With more impetus being given in recent times to child-centric methods in education around the world, dance education methods that are child-centric are bound to gain visibility and importance. If allowing for a slower progression of technique means that the child can nurture their creative spirit simultaneously, that would definitely be the way forward. How soon it catches on in a vastly competitive world of 'fastest' - only time will tell. Matangi's experiments with content and Aranyani's ongoing exploration with multiple modernities are indicators that young teachers draw from their own learning environment as children, carry forward what they have learnt and are looking to use this powerful tool of technique in ways that are relevant to themselves as teachers and to their students- the newbie as well as the practitioner. 

For the young teacher, another significant aspect that has been influenced by society is the structure and logistical framework of teaching. For a space that was conventionally thought to an informal one, the sudden financial crunch that the pandemic brought on has compelled more teachers to look at structure as the practical way forward. While a few dancers focus on dance education as their mainstay, a bulk of dance teachers are performers primarily. Either way, the need for a sound framework is essential because it is from a financially sustainable model that teachers gain the confidence to explore and invest in nurturing the teaching environment. What does such an investment look like? Gathering resources about dance education from modalities unlike ours maybe; Or a coming together of young dance educators along with senior and experienced teachers to draw from the best of the past and current. And several more investment options to pick from!