Dancing to myriad rhythms of life
Aditi Tandon
THERE IS SOMETHING about Leesa Mohanty which grows on you. The very first in the long list of her assets is humility, despite the status of a respected Odissi dancer which she attained at a rather young age of 26. The achievement might not sound great on the face of it, for there are many dancers around. But a look into Leesa's life’s graph sets all doubts to rest and, one by one, reveals the wonderful aspects of a multifaceted character that Leesa bears.

To desire to be ‘like men’! 
Madhurima
RECENTLY, I came across two enigmatic comments, one by Joseph De Maistre a thinker, wherein he maintains, “The great fault in women is to desire — to be like men” and the other is by Gloria Steinem, a prominent women’s rights activist who says: “Some of us are becoming the men we wanted to marry.”

Dancing to myriad rhythms of life
Aditi Tandon

THERE IS SOMETHING about Leesa Mohanty which grows on you. The very first in the long list of her assets is humility, despite the status of a respected Odissi dancer which she attained at a rather young age of 26. The achievement might not sound great on the face of it, for there are many dancers around. But a look into Leesa's life’s graph sets all doubts to rest and, one by one, reveals the wonderful aspects of a multifaceted character that Leesa bears.

Like any other dancer, she talks little, knowing that her eyes will do the talking for her. And not just eyes, each gesture she makes communicates. This is the beauty of grace which is inherent in Leesa, who has transcended many a barrier to court fame in the challenging field of Odissi dance. Lyrical movements, melodious voice and enchanting features — have all added to her all-encompassing personality and made her a respected name in the comity of young dancers.

The first good thing that ever happened to her was the tutelage of Durga Charan Ranbir, himself a great Odissi exponent. Following a religious schedule under her guru, the girl kept honing her skill. The initial days of struggle as a dancer still keep coming back to her, but her guru likes revelling in her present achievements. "All the effort was worth my first love, Odissi."

Leesa's association with the dance form is as old as her age itself. She could never imagine a life without Odissi. This passion gave her the spark to go it alone, until she was initiated into academic learning of the dance form by her guru. "I must have been born with an urge to master this divine art. That is why I always remember myself in a dancing posture, even while I was a young child," says Leesa, who even ventured into stardom at a very tender age.

Her first honour was winning an award for the best child artiste award in 1984 which she received for an Oriya movie, Basanta Rasa. From that day onwards, Leesa's convictions grew stronger. She acquired varied skills, not just as a dancer, but also as an actress, a director, a choreographer and a compere.

At present, she performs frequently for the Cuttack Doordarshan Kendra, which has recognised her as its senior auditioned artiste. She has also received a senior merit scholarship of the Department of Culture of the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development. The list of her honours only starts here and ends nowhere still...

Laughs the dancer, "That is very gracious of you, but I am still in the process of learning." Leesa fondly remembers some performances which brought her great laurels — the Sharad Utsav organised by the Uttar Pradesh government in 1986 and again in 1988, the recital she gave for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness at Mayapuri (Nadiya). Another memorable performance she gave was at the India International Trade Fair at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi in 1987.

Among the better ones are her recitals during the Konark Festival in 1991 (which she also compered in 1992), Swami Haridas Samaroh at Vrindavan in 1993 and the Natyanjali Festival at Chidamvaram in 1995. Leesa's talent has travelled widely over the North also, and she has to her credit performances at the Gaiety Theatre of Shimla and also at the Republic Day celebrations of the Himachal Pradesh Government.

An artiste's might lies in that he does not restrict himself to a singular role. Like a true artiste, Leesa graduated to dance direction, after mastering the dance form. The first sequence she choreographed was a 30-minute programme, titled Milan Madhuri for the Bhubaneshwar Doordarshan Kendra. This project was very well-received in art circles.

Another face of Leesa is that of an actress. Being a dancer, acting has come naturally to her. "I was keen on assimilating all my talent and keep learning. So I kept picking up whatever crossed my way," she says. Leesa has been able to blend her Odissi skills with her ability to act. She has acted in many award-winning movies like Janani, Jai Phoola, Hakim Babu.

The most favourite memory with Leesa is, however, that of Basant Rasa, in which she played the role of Mansukha, the childhood friend of Lord Krishna. This was the role which fetched the first award for the doe-eyed girl, who leads a quiet life in Manimajra these days. "I am just taking time off for my family," she smiles.

To desire to be ‘like men’! 
Madhurima

RECENTLY, I came across two enigmatic comments, one by Joseph De Maistre a thinker, wherein he maintains, “The great fault in women is to desire — to be like men” and the other is by Gloria Steinem, a prominent women’s rights activist who says: “Some of us are becoming the men we wanted to marry.”

The slightly disapproving tone of both set me thinking. Specially fascinating is the second part of the second comment in which Ms Steinem refers to women wanting to become men they failed to marry, obliquely hinting at some kind of failure on a woman’s part in getting a man!

Surely, it cannot be a simple something like switching over of or reversal of roles from female to male which has invited the rancour of these two thinkers? It can also not be something as simple as women aping men in behaviour! Is the ire simply aimed towards a man-like, relentless pursuit of worldly ambitions in women?

Why would a woman, and at that any woman, forget her natural self and desire to be like a man and specially like a man she failed to get in marriage? Is it that woman on a revenge-taking spree, taking it out fiercely on the world in general and very specifically on the male of the human species! According to Kipling, the female of the species is always deadlier! It can also be a very cold, calculated and deliberate act of sheer vengeance; women trying to pay men back in the same coin.

Psychologically, let us try to trace this desire in women to be “like men,” back to a deep-seated inferiority complex instilled in women by the world at large. The debilitating feeling of inadequacy is responsible for goading a woman to overreach herself and announce: ‘Anything you can do, I can do better!’ It is this feeling that is keeping even a millennium woman on her toes and making her act like a superwoman.

Women have got into a false mental competition with men and this competition has been generated by society in general and men in particular, by making a woman feel that she belongs to the weaker sex. A woman feels that she has to prove herself. Generally, she is merely trying to make a point which eventually results in a conflict between the genders and leads to chaos in society.

It is also only as a reaction that woman today has chosen to reject most of the traits and qualities associated with her personality. Byron averred in all honesty: Love is a part of a man’s life, whereas ‘tis a woman’s whole existence! Women today are trying to disprove the fact by sometimes distancing themselves from basic relationships.

What woman today is out to do is a complete change of image. It is a poignant statement made by woman who has journeyed far and is now into the new millennium. She is ready to assume new roles and is seeking new definitions and refuses to be pigeonholed.

Moralists like De Maistre need not feel disturbed. The fact is what constitutes the basic nature and appears appropriate in man, appears as a fault and inappropriate in a woman. While it is not necessarily so. Man-like characteristics make a woman stronger and female-like qualities make a man gentler, sensitive and more refined.

Gloria Steinem’s statement too has to be viewed in a wider perspective. Hidden under the gentle ire is a friendly, much-needed advice to women. Get on with your lives and reject and cold-shoulder men who failed to appreciate your true worth!

In every which way I may take the argument further, it only goes on to become clearer that it is only the society (read men) which has inflicted this unavoidable change of image in women. Men have much to answer for. The ball lies clearly in their court. I would like to end by making a little change (if I may) in Mark Twain’s quote ‘Man is the only animal that blushes —or needs to’, to ‘Man is the only animal that needs to blush.’