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Posted by dancer (128.220.36.100) on April 11, 2006 at 18:24:10:
In Reply to: The dominance of wealth and caste in dance! posted by Sarayu on April 10, 2006 at 12:03:36:
Dance today is not confined to temples as it once was. It is still sacred and divine, but it is also a commercial art form--- people make a living out of it, and it is unfortunately subject to all the corruption one may find in other professions. There is another thread on this very board about dancers buying awards... I don't doubt that this is true. Of course you need connections (this includes money, a well-known guru, etc.) if you hope to get some kind of recognition. It's life, deal with it. There are few dancers who may be "discovered," but you can't really get anywhere without some kind of financial support.
Also take into account some dancers do not wish to be famous or take up dance as a profession. They may be excellent, but earning recognition simply isn't their goal. I don't want to comment too much on your reference to Medha Hari because I do understand that you were using her only as an example. People won't believe you unless you mention specific names, but you do have a right to your own opinion. I personally believe there MAY be dancers as talented as Hari, but I cannot say I have seen any (maybe because of the reason I listed above, or maybe the other posters are right, who knows).
The one thing I don't understand about your post is your reference to being Brahmin vs. non-Brahmin. What makes you say this? Have you yourself experienced any sort of discrimination? If so, please share, because this board needs to hear it. It is not fair to say that being non-Brahmin is a disadvantage, because it implies Brahmins prevent others from entering the field. This may be true in some cases, but these are not grounds on which to generalize. In fact, I know some non-Brahmin castes prevent their own (take special note of the word "some" here so I don't offend anyone)! It certainly isn't encouraged in some castes, and sometimes even discouraged. Also, take a look at Alarmel Valli, arguably the most popular dancer in Chennai (see Ms. Ratnam's review of the season in which she discusses attendance at Valli's performances). It is a well-known fact she is a non-Brahmin, as are Urmila Satyanarayanan and Meenakshi Chittaranjan. Yes, the field is Brahmin-dominated, but you also have to look at this in the context of caste-specific values and beliefs before you can come to any conclusions.
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