Mythili writes of a (team) Junoon jam on a night in Dhasa that had us all thinking and then, believing…
They say, “It is not easy to be different.” Ask us. At Junoon, we’re weird to the point of no return. We’re also wired to (potentially) the point of no return. It’s not so hard to imagine. Why, with all the different we’re aiming at, all the weird, wired and whimsy are valid.
It’s probably for this reason that on a starry, winter night in Dhasa, while the rest of the village sleeps, Team Junoon is lost in thought, conversation, the aroma of sweet lime from a tree nearby and a biography – a life – that might change the course of our lives.
Written by Leela Samson (a poised genius to whom we owe so much of our no-frills approach to Dance) about Rukmini Devi (a powerhouse singularly responsible for reviving the art form that is our own – Bharata Natyam), we think this read couldn’t have come at a better time. Junoon needs to go back in order to move forward.
Inspiration is a tricky thing. It can tell you what’s possible but also make you restless to have it. That explains the state of constancy we find ourselves in.
We’ve taken our Girls through 4 cycles of physical practice today. (Not an anomaly in their very versatile and no-piece-of-cake practice schedule. But today’s sessions were timed and packed.) We’re mapping a bunch of details to iron out and consolidate our curriculum as well as its execution. Turns out, becoming better isn’t easy either!
We thought our brains (and needless to add: bodies) were done until this book on the life of a revolutionary artiste had us contemplating just how much more different, weird and needless to say, wired we can be.
So, with the moon for light and sprawled over our lawn with notepads and post-its and other “thought-provoking” stationery, we know the night has only just begun.
From somewhere under her hoodie Hema says, “She was far ahead of her times. Could that have been a problem?”
“Always. People can’t very easily tolerate disruptors. For one, they disturb the status quo. And then, they force us to think about who we are and where we are headed. Here was a woman reviving an ancient art form, forcing Indians to take pride in their history even as she urged them to think to the future with purpose and a progressive mindset that prioritized the Arts – all of which colonialism had impeded”, I replied.
“It says here”, Nik cuts in, “that she revived Bharata Natyam in a way that preserved its technique, its discipline. She made no major alterations to the art form in crafting her own style of Bharata Natyam. Given her early exposure to Ballet, she only made the movements more expansive. It’s almost as though Junoon’s echoed her approach all along!”
“Undoubtedly”, I add, “I think we’ve asserted the importance of control and structure so our Dancers will eventually discover abandon and that sense of liberation. And as they find that route to artistry, our methodology does present those vital challenges along the way. Our education is transformative. And may be that’s what makes it necessary.”
“I think we have to keep this in mind as we consolidate our curriculum – the fact that being a true student of Junoon is a test of stamina, resilience and character, as much as of knowledge, skill and creativity.”
“And while we’re getting creative for our next productions, it’s worth taking a leaf out of her less-is-more outlook. All the drama is in the Dance she choreographed. The settings were simple and beautiful. She kept the purity of the styles of Dance she employed in her shows. She wasted nothing; not time, nor space, not garment, nor movement. Nothing was excessive. Minimal and optimal use of colour, texture and design. It all sounds so neat!”, exclaims Nik.
“Yes it does, and I could swear the last thing a Dancer needs is to be weighed down by costume or drowned out by an overbearing surrounding. She needs space to breathe and to feel weightless in a way that allows her to fly across stage.”, Hema asserts.
It’s getting a bit too cold to be outside like this, finding our future in the pages of the past. But Nik brings some warmth as she gingerly asks me,
“Does it scare you? This duel dream. Two institutes in rural and urban India. We know neither the establishment nor the running of an Arts institute has ever been a reality without consistent patrons.”
“Girls, all I know is that Junoon is that rare and vital path. Society needs art and art needs society to appreciate it. I know it’s a near insurmountable task. I don’t entirely know what lies ahead and I don’t know where the alternate force to create this alternate path for the spread of art as we want it to be spread will come from but Leela Samson’s words at the end of this glorious biography resonate:
‘An artist has also to fight battles. These may not be fought on the street with placards, however dramatic that may be! The true artist has to struggle everyday, at every turn, with every faculty available. It comes from one’s choice of sahitya or verse, the music you will tolerate or not, from the costumes you wear, and the public relations you choose to do or not do, from the causes you support and the friends you make along the way. Institutes make the same choices as an individual does and are also judged by these choices.
As for the rest, much of what we do is powered by forces beyond us, by Masters that guide the spirit of men. They work in mysterious ways. Not least among these mysteries is the power to create – to be able to dance and sing and paint and craft.
At its best, it is without author.’
All we have ultimately, is our Junoon.
And that’s why we are here on a night getting bitterly cold, figuring out a future for ourselves and the art, the authenticity, the beauty we want to preserve, create and perpetuate.”
We all smile, with hope. It’s time to call it a night. Tomorrow, our plans for our dreams continue to take shape; only now with the force of a figure (and author!) that dared to bring art back to the future.
We’re weird enough to do the same.
Suddenly, it’s not so hard being different.
This is Junoon.
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