Crass article!

Posted by Vidya (68.36.162.101) on January 23, 2006 at 18:45:38:

In Reply to: Absolutely honest... what more could one want? posted by Vinod II on January 13, 2006 at 19:41:29:

I found the article penned by Anita Ratnam in absolutely bad taste. Ms. Ratnam has used her magazine to reveal her jealousy and spite. To place A. Lakshman above Dhandayudhapani Pillai and Rajaratnam Pillai and to give Lakshman credit in making Urmila and Priya "excellent dancers" from merely "good dancers" was to demean some of the greatest dance teachers. I have read articles in kutcheribuzz where Priya has thanked Lakshman for working with her. The relationship between Priya and Lakshman was not that of a guru and student, but between two dancers who were choreographing together- a quid pro quo working relationship. Priya has acknowledged his contribution, but Lakshman has not. So who is the swayambhu? The portion about Malavika Sarukkai not being able to hold her audience in two programs but managing to retain the audience for the Brahma Gana Sabha performance was absolutely condescending. Malavika is undoubtedly an excellent dancer and Anita has "not so subtly" attempted to equate herself with malavika by talking about the 250 people who attended her own program. Anita is not in the same category as Malavika although she may like to be. Anita dares to suggest that the Hindu dance critic does not like Anita's dance because the critic is an ardent admirer of Padma Subrahmanyam? And the point is?? Does Anita really think that she is in the same league as Padma Subrahmanyam? Next- to speak in such a derogatory fashion about C.V. Chandrasekhar-a living legend not only shows scant respect for gurus but also her lack of knowledge about Bharatanatyam. Her dig at Shobana was totally crass. But then, obviously it reflects and reveals the writer for what she is. Shobana, is a fantastic dancer and her joy when she dances communicates to the audience. Furthermore, Shobana's laya is impeccable unlike Anita's who actually sat through a program and kept putting thalam on the wrong beat. Similarly with Priya. Anita has the audacity to question if Priya is keeping the correct thalam? If Anita knew how to keep beat, she would have figured that Priya's command of laya is excellent. Shobana has worked with Zakir Hussain and Priya with Umayalpuram Sivaraman. Need one say more? Her gripe with Priyadarshini is that Priya covers the stage and hence she coins the phrase "acronatyam"? This echoes her statement about Chandrasekhar sir. For those who truly know dance, this statement isnt worth a response.I have always wondered how Anita despite being a student of Adyar Lakshman is such an awful dancer who cannot sit in araimandi or even keep her shoulders erect. I thought that it was because she came back to dance after 20 years, as an older woman and had hence lost body flexibility. But I was wrong. It is because she doesnt understand excellent dance when she sees it and her lack of respect for seniors and the jealousy at the established current generation top dancers who have proved their mettle hampers her ability to learn and improve.