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First things first, theirs is not just a passing fancy but a deep-abiding love that has not only made them grasp the complex language of Indian dances but also impelled them to choose India over their country of birth. Reasons for gravitating towards Indian dances could be varied. French dancer Devayani discovered Bharatnatyam in France itself. Italian by birth Ileana Citaristi, a doctorate in philosophy with experience in theatre, moved to India in her quest for answers to inner questions. She found the answers at the feet of her guru Odissi doyen Kelucharan Mohapatra. Among the new crop of dancers, her compatriot Italian Elena Catalano believes she didn’t discover Odissi, rather it was always hidden within her. Only when she encountered it, it fit her like a perfect piece of dress. So if Elena fell in love with the codified movements, Justin McCarthy, head of the Bharatnatyam Department at the Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra, New Delhi, loved the fact that here was a dance to be performed bare feet. The rhythmic nature of the footwork and the stylised gestures added to the allure he felt for the dance.
She adds, "Indian classical dance gives you that sense of ultimate reality through which one is able to create a sacred space on stage." Of course, arriving at a point where they could internalise the form must not have been easy. Not knowing the language or the sacred texts must have worked to their disadvantage. However, Lowen asserts that being an outsider actually translated into a big plus. Unlike her Indian counterparts, not knowing the literal meaning helped her delve deep and go beyond the obvious meaning of texts. That’s precisely why she was able to do Odissi in many languages. However, all this does not imply that it has been a smooth sailing for them. Challenges have come in many forms. Coming from a space where they had no patrons, it was sheer dint of hard work and dedication alone that propelled them forward. Lowen recalls how just once she approached a patron, she was rebuffed. To ensure that others find the right platform, she even started Videshi Kalakar Utsav where each year at least 15 foreign artistes of considerable mettle would perform. The festival was quite a draw for the years it ran. Does Indian audience respond more positively to foreign dancers? Well, yes and no. Certainly Indian viewers are intrigued. To begin with, the artistes had to deal with the curiosity factor. Lowen quips, "It was almost as if people were watching the monkey act." Elena feels that till date Indians can’t digest fair hair and fair-complexioned foreigners taking to Indian dance. Devayani, however, strikes a different note and says, "When Indians see foreigners performing Indian classical arts, their pride in their own culture is doubly reinforced." However, what has supported them is the unqualified love of audiences. Even Elena is touched by the flattering remark of a woman who told her that after working with foreign Indian classical dancers, for the first time, she saw in her performance ‘the sense of Indian dance.’
Lowen, however, refuses to discount the contribution of foreign artistes like her disciples who are promoting Indian culture in different parts of the world. Not only do these artists act as a bridge between two different cultures but also even promote the cause of Indian artistes visiting foreign lands. Elena, who may not settle in India, says, "Back in our countries, we have the responsibility to make sure that people understand the meanings embedded in Indian classical dance. At the same time, as transnational artists, we have the responsibility to understand what our identity in relation to this dance is." McCarthy can sense another pattern. According to him, when he first came to India in 1979, most of the foreigners studying Indian performing arts were from western countries. By the early 1990s, most students were from India’s nearest neighbours. Now he thinks the overwhelming majority of students are from the former Soviet Union republics. Whether it’s significant names like Lowen, Devayani, Ileana and McCarthy, who have stayed back in India and made a mark, or those who continue to spread the fragrance on foreign soils, there is no denying their stellar contribution in making Indian dance richer and more beautiful. May their tribe increase! Judging by their passion and enthusiasm as well as the support that is coming their way from the ICCR, their numbers are not going to diminish anytime soon. As Lowen puts it, "Where else but here in India can you have opportunities such as performing during Shivratri at Khajurao for a 15,000 strong audience?" And to those sceptical Indians who believe foreigners can’t get the essence of Indian spirituality right, Elena, reminds, "The essence of things is not in the form. If you speak French, you are not necessarily a poet. The question is how well do you know the language you use to make it art." The answer lies in watching them perform soaked and immersed in the Navrasa tradition of Indian art.
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FROM across the seven
shores they came, and surrendered themselves to Indian classical
dances. Born with sensibilities far removed from Indian ethos, they
have nevertheless danced their way into the hearts of classical art
connoisseurs. Today as they stand at the zenith of glory, we wonder
how these ambassadors of Indian culture got smitten by all things
classically Indian in the first place.
Odissi dancer Sharon
Lowen, who learnt more than one dance form to finally find her
moorings in Odissi, was taken in by Indian dance’s inherent richness
and intrinsic beauty.
Nevertheless, Sharon
feels that foreigners who are coming to India to learn classical
dances and find a vocation in it are taking a big risk. The major
impediment is the age at which they start is not exactly malleable.
McCarthy agrees with the observation. Only he tampers it with a view
that many Indian dancers too start late. Devayani feels that the
challenges that their generation of dancers, and especially those who
stayed back in India, were far greater than those who go back to their
native places of origin.