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Abu Dhabi: A popular Indian classical dancer fears that the next generation may have to go to western countries to learn her own dance form which was recognised by Unesco.
Margi Sathi, an exponent of 'Koodiyatam', a classical dance from Kerala, said she has more students from Western countries than from India. She expressed her concern on the third day of the Indo Arab Cultural Festival in Abu Dhabi.
"Western students' curiosity and dedication towards the dance is far better than my own compatriot students," said Sathi, while addressing the audience at a workshop on the classical dance yesterday at Kerala Social Centre.
"I cannot say about their sincerity towards an Indian dance. But their attitude towards art is admirable," said Sathi. The danseuse said she has experienced pin drop silence among the audience while performing only in the west.
She recalled her performance for two and half hours at Unesco headquarters.
"The audience reaches the venue well in time and nobody makes any sound which may interrupt the artist. Whereas in my country and in other parts of the world, you may find people talking on mobile phones, taking water and food and leaving the venue from the front row in the middle of a performance," said Sathi. "My own compatriot students reach the class half an hour late every day but foreigners do not do so," she said.
Kalamandalam Hemavathi, another popular Indian classical dancer, said learning just tips to win dance competitions will not help you perform well.
Workshop
"Experienced dancers can easily identify whether one has studied the basics properly." Hemavathi demonstrated the difference between two popular south Indian classical dances, Bharatanatyam and Mohiniyattam.
The audience enjoyed the lessons behind the dance forms. "After attending the workshop, I could understand how Indian classical dance forms like Koodiyatam achieved international recognition," said Robin, an enthusiast. "Although I used to enjoy all those dance forms, now I understand the exact difference in performance," he said.
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