• Know about a festival in Bengaluru, Lasyaprabha, where both mothers and daughters performed. 

In the seminal treatise of Natyashastra, Bharatamuni is known to have taught his hundred sons who were actually his disciples. The bonding between a Guru and Shishya is already in Bharatiya tradition, assumed to be the same as ‘parent and child.’ 

Translated as ‘May God protect both us disciple and teacher together. Let us both enjoy the fruits of learning together. Let us together get the power to attain education. May the study of both of us be brilliant. Let us not envy each other. The mind of the person having this kind of feeling remains pure. From a pure mind a pure future emerges.’ Source To hear chanting in 45 second video

This age old prayer found in the Taittiriya Upanishad is for the teacher and taught to acquire protection, nourishment, vigour and success without any disparity. In the Gurukula tradition the relationship becomes deeply intimate wherein the Guru is seen as a father or mother figure, providing timely knowledge and deep wisdom, through his or her own example, magnified through experience. The Shishya cultivates character and inner understanding, by surrendering his ego at the feet of the Guru. In such an atmosphere, there is constant enhancement, not only on the specialisation pursued but many allied subjects that could be integrated for optimal development. In this manner there is a fluid exchange, keeping the core values in place.

Coming to dance in particular, aspects such as Nritta and Abhinaya require years of expertise. Pure technique and structure can get communicated as a mode of teaching, comparatively easier than the intense expressions and devotional quotient. One-to-one transmission between the teacher and the taught in close proximity is hard to replace or simulate. It takes several years of hard work to master the nuances and achieve the spectator’s acceptance. The best way of teaching in such cases has been proven to be the oral and direct method. What is heard and seen gets assimilated with strength and conviction literally into the hearts of the pupils. The term ‘pupil’ connects with the centre of one’s eyes, indicating that there is a need for sincere focus to bring about transformation in the student. This term seems to trace back simultaneously to ‘pupa’, suggesting that the student blossoms into maturity, gradually. 

In the last chapter of the Natyashastra, the descent of drama on earth is described, wherein we find the sons (disciples) of Bharatha being delegated to carry forward the mission of the Muni, which is to impart training in Bhumiloka. The legend says that these sons had exhibited a shade of arrogance by showcasing a satirical parody, staged in front of the sages who felt humiliated. Having being cursed by the sages, the sons approached their preceptor Bharatha who requested the sages to mitigate the effects of ‘Shaapa”. 

Thus, there was partial condoning of their ignorance. The redressal was to go a step below from heaven onto the earth and carry forward the tradition of Natya. This in turn fulfils the original purpose of its creation by Brahma, which was to restore Dharma or righteousness on earth.

While we see that disciples are likened to biological children, what would happen if biological children themselves become disciples? There is a popular saying that God intends to allot the duty of being primary ‘disciple-makers’ of their children, before they embark on their journeys to pursue knowledge. What if the journey ends at home itself or begins at home as a stepping-stone to further pursuits? 

Smt. Yasomati Mishra, Founder of Nrityadhwani, hails from Bhubaneshwar and is now based in Bengaluru. Her desire to pass on her skill and aptitude of dance to her daughter started at the latter’s early age. She provides holistic learning processes in her dance school with consistent dedication and includes her own child in the process, with all its ‘rigor’. 

Yashomati’s dance festival called Lasyaprabha had given a platform to a set of parent-child joint performances recently in Bengaluru. The theme was ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.’ 

Yashomati’s daughter Saanvi joined her to present an invocation to Lord Ganesha titled ‘Vinayaka Smarane’. Thereafter they presented a series of lyrical movements and rhythmic patterns with a Pallavi, wherein the grace and charm of Odissi dance form was beautifully captured. The mother-daughter duo concluded with Ardhanarishvara Stotra of Adi Shankaracharya. It was obvious that the mother has worked intensely in honing her daughter’s talents who is also a national scholarship holder with a promising pathway ahead. 

The festival paid homage to the lineage of illustrious Gurus belonging to the ‘Mohapatra’ family. The second duet was rendered by Murali Mohan Kalvakalva and his daughter Pavanee in a captivating Kathak performance. They put up together a lively blend of elegance and prowess. The highlight was the Sunand Taal which was unique. 

The last mother-daughter duo was Anuradha Vikranth and Rhea. They chose to present the popular kriti of Vidwan Dr. Balamuralikrishna  – Omkarakaarini and added a special composition penned by the scholar Shatavadhani Dr. Ganesh, titled ‘Arishad Varga’. 

There were extremely powerful episodical narratives taken from the Puranas, like Urvashi’s infatuation for Arjuna, Kaikeyi’s conditions put forth to Dasharatha, Duryodhana’s envy at the Pandava’s palace, the pride possessed by the Ganges river and so on. The moral lesson that stood out is how one can overcome the six evils and attain peace.

One thing we notice is that, the arts are flourishing despite a limited space and with increasing time constraints. Starting from Bharatha’s ancient period, the various art forms have evolved through the medieval and modern times. The number of dance compositions reduced when dance shifted from the temple where it was a part of ritual, to the modern proscenium. Artists have adopted changes, also in the accompaniments which were much larger troupes, to a minimal number in present times. The live ensemble is often replaced by recorded music as we see commonly, attributed to practical difficulties. 

So how does one succeed in bringing out the best results of professional training in one’s own child? 

Does artistry arrive at a fecund period, while facing the stumbling block of familiarity? There have been many brilliant artists who have emerged in the lineage of performers, with first-hand experience in the proximity of distinguished elders within family. While some excelled better than their forefathers, others fell short. Some continued the Parampara by taking up the baton themselves. All the same, potential talent and raw material may be in the roots or acquired later or even “absent”. 

In any case, having a vantage point as a student with a firm foundation and an early exposure helps. There is another question as to how one can maintain fair practice in an institution, and keep merit as the highest benchmark.

This way, all students would naturally feel inclusive and motivated without any obvious ‘dynasty-based favouritism’. On the other side, we may see the parent-teacher who makes the going tougher for the student-child, to create a ‘finer artiste’ or even prove that he or she is equitable. It certainly works well to inculcate discipline and treat one’s own “flesh and blood” as any other student. 

The simple rule of thumb, finally is- ‘There is no easy pathway to success’ and that “Life is a great Leveller”.

An acclaimed dancer researcher and author, Dr. Padmaja Venkatesh Suresh is well-known for her immaculate insight into esoteric sciences, corelated with years of training and experience. Having toured extensively with her lectures, workshops and thematic performances, she leads Aatmalaya Academy, Bangalore, that propagates the cause of Sanatana Dharma and Vedic values through the arts. A PhD in dance and philosophy, she has several awards to her credit.

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