‘Indian dance requires you to be an actor’
8 Feb 2013 10:58 PM GMT
While we find amusement in salsa and bellydancing, the world immerses itself into Indian tradition. Case in point? Odissi dancer Sharon Lowen, whose passion and love for dance made her cross the culture barrier and establish her identity as a leading dancer. Born and brought up in Detroit, US, Sharon was interested in performing art from a very young age. She learnt modern dance, Cecchetti ballet and attended the Detroit Institute of Arts for puppetry, mime and theatre. She even performed with george Latshaw’s puppets for the Detroit and Cleveland Symphony and was offered an apprenticeship with the muppets.
However, her heart lay elsewhere and she declined the offer only to pick up a Fullbright Scholarship to India. It was while studying in college in Michigan that she got hooked to Manipuri dance.
Her first encounter with India happened in 1973 when she visited India for further studies in Manipuri dance form. It was then that Odissi piqued her interest and she took it as a challenge to master it as well as other dance forms like Chhau. So she trained in Mayurbhanj Chhau under Guru Krushna Chandra Naik, Odissi under Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra and Manipuri Pala Cholam under Guru Thangjam Chaoba Singh and Manipuri Maibi Jagoi under Guru Ranjana Maibi, Kumar Maibi and RK Achoubi Sana Singh.
The internationally acclaimed dancer is now all set to perform in the Capital. So what can Delhiites expect from the performance? ‘We will perform a Devi Mangalacharan, Kumarasambhavanam, Lalita Lavanglata from Geeta Govinda and Mokshya with Omkarakarini,’ says an excited Sharon.
Being an exponent in so many different dance forms, what does she think is the difference between Indian and Western dance forms? ‘The main difference is that the Indian dance form requires the dancer to be an actress as well as a mover. It requires technique and abhinaya (acting). Dance in India comes from within. It is more earthly and spiritual and you have to feel it to master it,’ explains the artiste.
Odissi, for her, was a challenge that she took up. ‘I had a gorgeous introduction to dance, theatre and literature back in the US. I had done a degree in Asian Literature and had studied Manipuri for about four years. I came to India to further study Manipuri and it was around that time that I started to learn Odissi. I decided that learning one classical was very difficult but not impossible and I was determined to learn Odissi. My interest led me to learning Chhau,’ she says.
Language, however, was not a barrier. ‘We shared the language of dance and as such communication came easily to us. I had gurus who didn’t know English but we managed to get along and create our own bhasha. Apart from that, there were always people who would help us out in translation,’ says the dancer.
Settling down in a country with a diametrically opposite culture was again no big deal for Sharon. ‘There is an inner reality that is same everywhere and if you emphasise you can look beyond culture and religion and settle anywhere you want. Oh yes! I’m also very grateful to the Indian public who gave me a chance and accepted my art. It is the love of audience that motivates an artist,’ she says, gracefully.
The evening will also feature a tabla solo by Neetu Chopra and ghazals by Guru Vinod Kumar and Dr Kiran Martin.
Be there to be mesmerised.
DETAIL
At: Shri Satya Sai Auditorium, 8 Pragati Vihar, Lodhi Road
When: 8 February
Timings: 6.30pm onwards
However, her heart lay elsewhere and she declined the offer only to pick up a Fullbright Scholarship to India. It was while studying in college in Michigan that she got hooked to Manipuri dance.
Her first encounter with India happened in 1973 when she visited India for further studies in Manipuri dance form. It was then that Odissi piqued her interest and she took it as a challenge to master it as well as other dance forms like Chhau. So she trained in Mayurbhanj Chhau under Guru Krushna Chandra Naik, Odissi under Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra and Manipuri Pala Cholam under Guru Thangjam Chaoba Singh and Manipuri Maibi Jagoi under Guru Ranjana Maibi, Kumar Maibi and RK Achoubi Sana Singh.
The internationally acclaimed dancer is now all set to perform in the Capital. So what can Delhiites expect from the performance? ‘We will perform a Devi Mangalacharan, Kumarasambhavanam, Lalita Lavanglata from Geeta Govinda and Mokshya with Omkarakarini,’ says an excited Sharon.
Being an exponent in so many different dance forms, what does she think is the difference between Indian and Western dance forms? ‘The main difference is that the Indian dance form requires the dancer to be an actress as well as a mover. It requires technique and abhinaya (acting). Dance in India comes from within. It is more earthly and spiritual and you have to feel it to master it,’ explains the artiste.
Odissi, for her, was a challenge that she took up. ‘I had a gorgeous introduction to dance, theatre and literature back in the US. I had done a degree in Asian Literature and had studied Manipuri for about four years. I came to India to further study Manipuri and it was around that time that I started to learn Odissi. I decided that learning one classical was very difficult but not impossible and I was determined to learn Odissi. My interest led me to learning Chhau,’ she says.
Language, however, was not a barrier. ‘We shared the language of dance and as such communication came easily to us. I had gurus who didn’t know English but we managed to get along and create our own bhasha. Apart from that, there were always people who would help us out in translation,’ says the dancer.
Settling down in a country with a diametrically opposite culture was again no big deal for Sharon. ‘There is an inner reality that is same everywhere and if you emphasise you can look beyond culture and religion and settle anywhere you want. Oh yes! I’m also very grateful to the Indian public who gave me a chance and accepted my art. It is the love of audience that motivates an artist,’ she says, gracefully.
The evening will also feature a tabla solo by Neetu Chopra and ghazals by Guru Vinod Kumar and Dr Kiran Martin.
Be there to be mesmerised.
DETAIL
At: Shri Satya Sai Auditorium, 8 Pragati Vihar, Lodhi Road
When: 8 February
Timings: 6.30pm onwards
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